Sorting Through 20 Potential 2026 Twins Outfielders Already in the Organization

[Greggory Masterson]

Image courtesy of © Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Let’s just cut to the chase, because there's a lot to discuss. The Twins already have a ton of outfielders. When I asked Twitter this week about how many internal options the Twins have in the outfield, the smallest estimate I received was 12. For reference, the Twins had 12 players play outfield for them all of last season, which included two who were traded away at midseason, three who were acquired midseason, and one Mickey Gasper for an inning in March.

How would you handle all these names, even those who you’re going to comment “It’s not even worth discussing ______!” in the replies about?

1. Byron Buxton
Not much to discuss here. Very good player. Should be the Opening Day center fielder. I suppose they might have to trade him if they upset him enough to waive his no-trade clause, and he might be moved to a corner if one of the guys further down covers center field better than he does at 32.

2. Matt Wallner
More than likely, he’s the Opening Day right fielder. However, he’s coming off his worst MLB season, with a just barely-above league-average .776 OPS (.202/.311/.464 110 OPS+), and his already shaky defense has taken a step back, despite his rocket arm. He seems to be a valuable asset in a lineup that lacks power, but he’s also on the wrong side of 27 and is best suited as a DH. His DH days might be closer than he’d prefer, given other exciting names further down the list.

3. Trevor Larnach
If Larnach is still on the team in March, he’s probably the primary left fielder or DH, but it’s become canonized across the Twins’ fanbase that he’s likely taken his last swings as a Twin. He has a pedestrian career slash line around league average with a .727 career OPS, but spotted against righties, he’s an above-average hitter with no speed or defense to add to his profile. With an estimated $4.7 million due in arbitration for next year, odds seem high that he will either be traded, but the Twins have a history of holding on to lefty corner outfielders even when fans believe they’ll be traded any day now.

4. Alan Roden
Roden was acquired as part of the Louis Varland trade and would be far more exciting on many other teams. Instead, he’s one of 10 current Twins on the 40-man roster who have played left field and are left-handed. He profiles as a solid glove and solid hitter with more on-base potential than power, but he’s struggled in his 55 games as an MLB player. The Twins have a combination of MLB depth in the corner outfield position and high-upside players behind him (whom he has had only 153 more plate appearances than). So, his path to playing time in the medium- and long-term may be at first base, where he played some in college.

5. Austin Martin
The once-top-prospect seems to be settling into a big-league role finally, if the last two months of 2025 are any indication. Martin seems resigned to left field, where his lack of power is a weakness, but if his .374 OBP from 2025 holds up, he can at least be a platoon option, whether that be with Roden, Larnach, or any of the names below. He can also play center field or second base in a pinch, and he’s fast enough to pinch run in games he didn’t start.

6. James Outman
Outman was probably the biggest head-scratcher of an acquisition from the Twins’ 2025 trade deadline. The return for reliever Brock Stewart. Outman placed third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023, but his .529 OPS since is 50% below league average. He also did not impress in center field for the Twins, despite his positive reputation as a defender. The fourth lefty on this list (thus far), he needs to improve his fielding, hitting, or both to carve out a role. He also may be moved—traded or released—if the Twins decide that his replacement outweighs sunk cost.

7. Kody Clemens
Clemens is currently penciled in as the Twins’ starting first baseman by most, but (should they bring in some other names to cover the position) he may be an option in a corner. He’s looked fine defensively in limited action in right and left field, so it’s not the worst solution—especially early in the season or if the team catches the injury bug. But names further down the list could probably make his outfield skillset obsolete, even if he is platooning with Martin in left field come March.

8. Walker Jenkins
Okay, finally, one of those names further down the list. Jenkins is one of the top prospects in the sport, and even with significant time lost to injury, the 2023 number five pick has made it to Triple-A, holding his own as a 20-year-old for a month in St. Paul. He’s preferably a fixture in the Twins outfield for the next decade. He should be able to play center field enough to at least be Buxton’s backup, which may squeeze Outman out of a job. His hit tool has shone, and if it translates to the majors—especially if he can add some power—he’d be in position to take starting reps away from corner guys like Larnach and Roden and situational reps from Martin and Clemens. It might even happen early in the season, but it’s good not to count chickens before they hatch.

9. Emmanuel Rodriguez
Rodriguez’s situation bears similarity to Jenkins—he’s a left-handed top prospect who could play center and hit enough to man a corner but has been slowed by injury. But the way he’s gotten there is different, as he’s a three-true-outcomes hitter with power, plate discipline, and a lot of strikeouts, which contrasts with Jenkins’ more pure hitting approach. He’s also been more plagued by injury, playing just 295 games across five minor league seasons, though the 22-year-old has raked at every level. It’s not hard to see both Jenkins and Rodriguez covering the corners by midseason, health permitting, reframing the roles of whoever is still in the organization between Wallner, Larnach, Roden, Martin, and Outman. Clemens, too. Sure. Wallner could slide to more DHing, playing right field when any of the other three need a day off, and Martin could continue to platoon, but there are a lot of question marks.

10. Carson McCusker and DaShawn Keirsey Jr
Before you run off to comment that you stopped reading here, let me draw your attention to the fact that it took me nine starting-caliber outfielders to reach the end of the bench major leaguers. Also, more interesting names are coming. Keep reading. McCusker, is reasonable bench options as a one-trick pony. He can slug as a righty. Technically, he could be a 26th man, but there’s a solid chance he will be designated for assignment this offseason, like DaShawn Keirsey Jr, who originally shared this spot in the article with McCusker before his release.

11-12. Utility Players with Outfield Chops: Ryan Fitzgerald, Ryan Kreidler, and Payton Eeles
Both of these guys are currently fighting over the utility infield position, but each has played some outfield to expand their utility. They likely won’t ever be primary guys out there, but they could factor into the picture. Payton Eeles was originally list here as well, but he was traded Friday morning. I'm being thorough. Okay, on to the minor leaguers.

13. Gabriel Gonzalez
One of the most recent additions to the 40-man roster, Gonzalez had one of the better turnarounds among Twins minor leaguers last season. Acquired in the Jorge Polanco trade, Gonzalez struggled at High-A in 2024, but he hit his way to Triple-A late in the season, hitting .329 across three levels. A righty, he provides the Twins a platoon option, provided that he continues to hit at St. Paul in 2026. He likely factors more into the second half, but he could fill a needed role, should the Twins have roster room to carry a platoon partner (alongside Martin; or in place of Martin) for their bevy of lefty hitters in the corner outfield.

14-16. Gonzalez-Adjacent Prospects: Kala’i Rosario, Ricardo Olivar, Kyler Fedko
These guys’ paths to the Twins’ plans are the least clear, but each righty outfielder could fill the same platoon role that Gonzalez would, should they hit well. The odds are low, but between injuries and underperformance, there’s a world in which any of them play into the Twins’ plans and will spend much of the year at Triple-A, one string of fortune from the majors. Rosario and Fedko each had unexpected 25-25 seasons, and Olivar can catch some. Fedko also saw some time at first base in 2025, adding utility.

17. Hendry Mendez
Mendez was the return for Harrison Bader, and he might be the farthest name on this list from the major league outfield, but the 22-year-old was just added to the 40-man roster, which raises his odds of major-league action just out of necessity. Gilberto Celestino played 23 games in 2021 simply because he was a warm body on the 40-man. Mendez had a great year at Double-A, like the three names above, but he’s also left-handed and might be more in the plans at first base than in the outfield.

18. Luke Keaschall
You didn’t expect to see Keaschall on this list, did you? He is an interesting case in this discussion, because in many organizations, he’d already be classified as an outfielder. He played 141 innings in center in 2024 but ceased doing so due to a torn UCL. The Twins have committed to him at second base, where his offense is more valuable, but his future may be in left or center. Given the myriad other options, he’s likely to stay on the dirt—at least for now. But I told myself if a player had at least a 5% chance of being in the Twins outfield, I’d list them, and there's a world in which Keaschall does end up spending some time in the outfield, even just in platoon lineups.

19. Mickey Gasper
He played an inning there last year. Listen, some things had to change when Eeles was traded and Keirsey was released. This is my fault for dragging my feet on this article.

20. Royce Lewis
Maybe Derek Shelton sees part of recapturing the old Royce Lewis is doing some exposure therapy and having him run around in the outfield a bit. Exorcise those center field demons. It could happen.

So how would you handle all these names? Who starts, who sits, who is headed to St. Paul (where there might be an outfield logjam made of these names, too)? Who would you trade? Who would you cut? Is there a single righty in your picture? Did I somehow miss your favorite option?

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[jmlease1]

Nice trolling putting Royce Lewis on this list. 

Gonzalez should be ahead of Fitz, Kreidler, or McCusker and if he's not then we're pretty damn stupid. Frankly, I'd rank him ahead of Outman, who I think is unsalvageable and a waste on the roster and spending a 26-man spot on him with better prospects with higher upside is foolish.

Ranking Martin below Roden after last season is weird. Martin was good, showing an offensive skillset that while lacking in power was still effective and he showed real improvement in LF. Roden was dreadful at the plate, and while he may be a higher rated prospect at this point, Martin has substantially out-performed him in MLB. Frankly, Martin should be above Larnach, whose mediocrity on offense and lack of defense has him as a fringe roster player. Martin is looking like a solid contributor.

[Greggory Masterson]

9 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

Gonzalez should be ahead of Fitz, Kreidler, or McCusker and if he's not then we're pretty damn stupid

I should note, this list isn’t intended to be in the order of most to least likely to contribute, or the level to which they’ll contribute. As I went through it, it was more who was front-of-mind for me personally. In retrospect I probably should have sorted it in some specified order.

[tony&rodney]

Buxton is a legit MLB player. Why he hasn't requested a trade is a little confusing, but great for Twins fans.

Clemens, Outman, and Kreidler are out of options. Larnach, Wallner, Martin, and Rodriguez all have 1 option remaining. It would not surprise anyone if Emmanuel starts in St. Paul, but it would seem rather pointless to send any of the other 3 down to the minors again.

So, that is 7 outfielders, but 2 can be considered for the infield (Clemens, Kreidler).

McCusker, Gonzalez, and Mendez are pretty much DH only at this point with Gonzalez making enormous strides last summer to reach playable status in the outfield and he has not been stopped by the pitchers at any level yet. Mendez needs to learn a position and the Twins have zero plans for McCusker no matter what he does. Expect a DFA for Carson.

Lewis and Keaschall will stay in the infield. Gasper is the team mascot.

Fedko, Rosario, and Olivar will get some chances in AAA to shine and wait for an avalanche of injuries for their opportunity. They are not on the 40 person roster.

Fitzgerald and Roden have options remaining, but Roden was a darling trade pickup which may be his ticket to the MLB roster.

That leaves Walker Jenkins. If he hits .750 with 100% barrels in Spring Training, the front office will suggest he needs more time to work on his base-running. 

The solution is to trade or cut those players the organization evaluates as less talented and to promote and play the most gifted athletes. That would seem to point towards a Rodriguez, Buxton, Jenkins trio with Martin and Roden or Fedko or Wallner behind them. About a 2% chance of this.

The odds on favorites though are Martin, Buxton, and Wallner with Larnach and Outman behind them. Maybe a sixth outfielder gets kept, Roden. Nobody will be surprised if both Clemens and Kreidler are on the 26 person roster. That's my guess. So it goes.

 

[Nashvilletwin]

Right now there are seven contenders for the post Buxton ‘28 core in the OF and DH:

1. Jenkins

2. ERod

3. Gonzalez

4. Rhoden

5. Mendez

6. Wallner

7. Martin

Ideally, five of those work out. But more will certainly be added and some will drop off the list for injury or performance issues. Let the battle begin.

But if Buxton gets traded, I’d love to see a starting OF in the second half of Jenkins, ERod and Gonzalez with Wallner as primary DH and Martin and Rhoden in utility type roles. Add Lewis (3B), Lee (SS), Keaschall (2B), Clemens/Julien (1B), Jackson plus 1 (C) (Jeffers will be traded by the deadline). Maybe Culpepper is called up to play SS and Lee goes to (2B) and Keaschall to 1B and one of Julien or Clemens is DFA’d. I’d tune in to watch that 13 position player lineup every game. 

[thelanges5]

I’m still holding out hope that they trade Larnach for a Fulmer/Coulombe type reliever.

I don’t like this but - Wallner DH, Buck CF, Outman RF, Roden LF, Martin 4th OF. 

Outman is only around because he backs up Buck. 
At AAA ready for an injury/performance call up: E-Rod, Gonzalez, Jenkins, Fedko

McCrusher and Gasper should be DFAd for rule 5 draft or other trade spots. 

I assume it’s Fitz and Kreidler duking it out to backup Lee at SS. That’s a depressing sentence. 

Go Twins!

[mikelink45]

At this point most fans don't trust the Falvey additions - Kreider, Outman, Roden and they are not impressed by Wallner and Larnach.  

If it matters it is the hope for Walker, Rodriquez, and Gonzales that keeps fans interested.  With Martin as the number five OF - Wallner at DH or 1B.   

As usual this kind of take does not impact the good old FO so we wait and see. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

2 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

Nice trolling putting Royce Lewis on this list. 

Gonzalez should be ahead of Fitz, Kreidler, or McCusker and if he's not then we're pretty damn stupid. Frankly, I'd rank him ahead of Outman, who I think is unsalvageable and a waste on the roster and spending a 26-man spot on him with better prospects with higher upside is foolish.

Ranking Martin below Roden after last season is weird. Martin was good, showing an offensive skillset that while lacking in power was still effective and he showed real improvement in LF. Roden was dreadful at the plate, and while he may be a higher rated prospect at this point, Martin has substantially out-performed him in MLB. Frankly, Martin should be above Larnach, whose mediocrity on offense and lack of defense has him as a fringe roster player. Martin is looking like a solid contributor.

Agreed. Absent some substantial change, Martin is the opening day LF and an every day player in that position unless he shows he can’t hit like he did in the second half of last year. We want the outfield to get faster and better on defense. Martin was +5 OAA in LF last year. He needs to work on his base running but the 20 stolen base a year profile is there. Admittedly no power. I’m guessing he leads off or hits in the nine hole next year, a.k.a., the second lead off.

[IndianaTwin]

I think I can shorten this article: 

• Guys who are this list in the way that Astudillo was once considered a CF by virtue of playing a couple innings there on a 100-degree day when others were dropping like flies* -- they ain't gonna be in the OF this year (2): Lewis, Keaschall.
• Likely DFAs when the roster spot is needed (4): Gasper, McKusker, Fitzgerald, Kreidler.
• Guys too far away, but voting "present" (4): Rosario, Mendez, Olivar, Fedko.

Now we are down to the 10 remaining:

• Buxton -- Duh.
• Wallner -- A career 127 OPS+ has to get dibs on extended playing time, despite last year's downturn (that still was 113).
• Larnach -- Enough ink has been spilled elsewhere, so I don't need to rehash. He's a starter (LF or DH) until he isn't on the roster.
• Roden, Martin, Outman -- Guys who have shown snippets of MLB success, each with some redeemable quality. Outman has no options, so he plays himself on or off the roster in spring training.
• Clemens -- Yeah, he's on the list, but not really. Could be in the previous bullet except that infield is really his path.
• Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez -- will each get a shot at some point, either because of injury or from beating down the door (assuming they stay healthy themselves).

*I remember, because I was lodged in the upper deck at Wrigley, with no air movement.  

[DocBauer]

With apologies, Kreidler and Gasper really aren't part of the conversation. And unless he just fails at 2B...which I don't expect to happen...Keaschal also shouldn't be part of the equation either.

Gasper, McCusker, and Outman should all be DFA, and probably will be in the near future. And they'll have to be for whatever additions the club has yet to make. All three are free to re-sign with the Twins on MILB deals. Same with the recently removed Keirsey. 

Larnach isn't a fit going forward any longer and needs to be moved.

Assuming good health, what SHOULD be the OF opening day is Rodriguez in RF and backing up Buxton, who is obviously starting in CF. Martin and Roden offer a quasi-platoon that doesn't need to be restrictive. And Roden can also play some RF as needed, and both he and Martin can be #3 at CF. Wallner becomes the primary DH, and can cover both OF corners as needed.

And, of course, Clemens can also be part of the corner OF discussion, as needed.

When Jenkins is up...regardless of the date...someone has to go. But deciding who that is right now would be silly.

Fedko will be sitting in St Paul as a 4 position bench option in waiting. And both Gonzalez and Rosario will be there with him. Personally, I'd like to have either or both play some 1B with Mendez to take advantage of all this young talent and potential. 

**Roden and Fedko could also be in the 1B mix depending on ownership/payroll.

[Blyleven2011]

3 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Buxton is a legit MLB player. Why he hasn't requested a trade is a little confusing, but great for Twins fans.

Clemens, Outman, and Kreidler are out of options. Larnach, Wallner, Martin, and Rodriguez all have 1 option remaining. It would not surprise anyone if Emmanuel starts in St. Paul, but it would seem rather pointless to send any of the other 3 down to the minors again.

So, that is 7 outfielders, but 2 can be considered for the infield (Clemens, Kreidler).

McCusker, Gonzalez, and Mendez are pretty much DH only at this point with Gonzalez making enormous strides last summer to reach playable status in the outfield and he has not been stopped by the pitchers at any level yet. Mendez needs to learn a position and the Twins have zero plans for McCusker no matter what he does. Expect a DFA for Carson.

Lewis and Keaschall will stay in the infield. Gasper is the team mascot.

Fedko, Rosario, and Olivar will get some chances in AAA to shine and wait for an avalanche of injuries for their opportunity. They are not on the 40 person roster.

Fitzgerald and Roden have options remaining, but Roden was a darling trade pickup which may be his ticket to the MLB roster.

That leaves Walker Jenkins. If he hits .750 with 100% barrels in Spring Training, the front office will suggest he needs more time to work on his base-running. 

The solution is to trade or cut those players the organization evaluates as less talented and to promote and play the most gifted athletes. That would seem to point towards a Rodriguez, Buxton, Jenkins trio with Martin and Roden or Fedko or Wallner behind them. About a 2% chance of this.

The odds on favorites though are Martin, Buxton, and Wallner with Larnach and Outman behind them. Maybe a sixth outfielder gets kept, Roden. Nobody will be surprised if both Clemens and Kreidler are on the 26 person roster. That's my guess. So it goes.

 

So hard to out guess what falvey will do ...

Larnach was expected by the fans and by mlb experts to be non tendered and here is for now , tendered and slotted into playing corner outfield positions and DH  ...

[tony&rodney]

56 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

So hard to out guess what falvey will do ...

Larnach was expected by the fans and by mlb experts to be non tendered and here is for now , tendered and slotted into playing corner outfield positions and DH  ...

Maybe we should believe Falvey when he states that the roster looks good. The last two years it seemed evident that the Twins would add players via trades, waivers, and limited free agency. Falvey said that he liked the roster. We didn't listen. Gasper and a few minor free agent moves saved the team from 100 losses. Now we are told the team is fine. A number of people have gone full on "What If" in desperate hopes of watching a 75 win team 'if' everything goes perfectly. Others of us cry in our beer and still hold out hope for 3-5 significant trades and 2 reasonable free agent additions. We have even accepted a payroll of anywhere from $50-110M in our wishes. We are willing to suffer a few years of losses as the talent learns. Falvey says the team looks good. Maybe we should believe him. Look at the roster and it is really looking like this is it. Oh, perhaps a right-handed bat on a 1 year deal for $4-6M or a couple of relief pitchers for $2-3M each. It is hard to listen when one still has hope.

[TJSweens]

This almost seems like a game to see how many names can be crammed on the list. There are highly unrealistic names here. 

I also reject the idea that Martin doesn't have enough power to be a corner outfielder. That is such an obsolete paradigm. 

I'm sure Buxton will anchor some combination of Martin, Wallner, Roden, Outman (could there be a worse name for a major league hitter) while Jenkins and Rodriguez get regular AAA at bats. I hope those two along with Culpeper at SS are up quickly. They are the future core and they may as well do what Calvin did in 82 and bring them as soon they are ready.

[TJSweens]

I think Larnach is still as good as gone. The only reason he was tendered is that he actually drew unexpected trade interest. The Twins still don't want to pay him.

[Greggory Masterson]

29 minutes ago, TJSweens said:

This almost seems like a game to see how many names can be crammed on the list. There are highly unrealistic names here

Of course, the last couple were foisted in after yesterday’s moves, but how many names on this list do you think have no realistic chance to play in the outfield for the Twins this season?

 

31 minutes ago, TJSweens said:

I also reject the idea that Martin doesn't have enough power to be a corner outfielder. That is such an obsolete paradigm

It’s not that Martin doesn’t have the power needed—it’s that his lack of power means he really, really needs to get on base a lot, pushing .380 like he did down the stretch this season.

[JD-TWINS]

5 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Buxton is a legit MLB player. Why he hasn't requested a trade is a little confusing, but great for Twins fans.

Clemens, Outman, and Kreidler are out of options. Larnach, Wallner, Martin, and Rodriguez all have 1 option remaining. It would not surprise anyone if Emmanuel starts in St. Paul, but it would seem rather pointless to send any of the other 3 down to the minors again.

So, that is 7 outfielders, but 2 can be considered for the infield (Clemens, Kreidler).

McCusker, Gonzalez, and Mendez are pretty much DH only at this point with Gonzalez making enormous strides last summer to reach playable status in the outfield and he has not been stopped by the pitchers at any level yet. Mendez needs to learn a position and the Twins have zero plans for McCusker no matter what he does. Expect a DFA for Carson.

Lewis and Keaschall will stay in the infield. Gasper is the team mascot.

Fedko, Rosario, and Olivar will get some chances in AAA to shine and wait for an avalanche of injuries for their opportunity. They are not on the 40 person roster.

Fitzgerald and Roden have options remaining, but Roden was a darling trade pickup which may be his ticket to the MLB roster.

That leaves Walker Jenkins. If he hits .750 with 100% barrels in Spring Training, the front office will suggest he needs more time to work on his base-running. 

The solution is to trade or cut those players the organization evaluates as less talented and to promote and play the most gifted athletes. That would seem to point towards a Rodriguez, Buxton, Jenkins trio with Martin and Roden or Fedko or Wallner behind them. About a 2% chance of this.

The odds on favorites though are Martin, Buxton, and Wallner with Larnach and Outman behind them. Maybe a sixth outfielder gets kept, Roden. Nobody will be surprised if both Clemens and Kreidler are on the 26 person roster. That's my guess. So it goes.

 

Seems right at this point for OF ……….Martin/Larnach - Buxton/Outman - Wallner/Gonzalez(?) …… Roden at AAA (potential, but a throw-in with Rojas!)…… Rodriguez & Jenkins on the come with good work & health through May, in St Paul.

 Clemens is (#13 guy on roster) to play OF if others were PH for and they come back with RH reliever late. He CAN play 2B if absolutely necessary. He’ll get some PH opportunities and, obviously, he’ll get some play at 1B. Cannot be the everyday guy at 1B on a competitive Team.

Gonzalez could make the Team with a nice Spring Training.

Gasper - Julien - Kriedler - Fitzgerald seem to all be set for DFA……..Fitzgerald may become back-up SS?

 

[ashbury]

11 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Larnach, Wallner, Martin, and Rodriguez all have 1 option remaining. 

Huh. 

Trevor Larnach could be optioned to St Paul. 

I had not considered that.  He has 4 years and 14 days of service time, so that clock doesn't run out for him until very late in the season.  Trevor Larnach being paid X million dollars to possibly toil at AAA in the opposite corner to wherever Gonzalez is playing, or as once-and-future DH -  that's a possibility I'm gonna have to ponder awhile.

[TJSweens]

33 minutes ago, Greggory Masterson said:

Of course, the last couple were foisted in after yesterday’s moves, but how many names on this list do you think have no realistic chance to play in the outfield for the Twins this season?

 

It’s not that Martin doesn’t have the power needed—it’s that his lack of power means he really, really needs to get on base a lot, pushing .380 like he did down the stretch this season.

Names that I would say have no chance to play outfield barring some bizarre combination of injuries and game substitutions.

McCusker, Gasper, Fitzgerald, Kriedler and Lewis are a hard no.

Clemens and Keaschall are highly unlikely.

Rosario, Fedko, Olivar maybe in September. 

What you said about Martin is exactly my point. There is a mindset that corner OF has to hit for power. Greggory even said it in the article. If a guy can can get on base at a high rate, steal bases and put pressure on the defense, he is a productive offensive player. 

[Permanent Twins Fan]

It is a very full and chaoitic postition for the Twins this season. . I would sort them into 5 tiers.

1. Head and Shoulders above the rest: Byron Buxton

2. 2025 outfielders: Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, Alen Roden, Austin Martin, and James Outman

3. Prospects nearing the bigs: Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Hendry Mendez, and Gabriel Gonzalez

4. Other Assorted minor leaguers: Ryan Kreidler, Kyler Fedko, Carson McCusker,  Kala'i Rosario, and Ricardo Oliver

5. Possible Position Changes: Royce Lewis, Luke Keaschall, Kody Clemens, and Mickey Gaspar

   Buxton is obviously going to be on the roster, barring a trade, and I think Wallner and Roden will be in as well. I don't think any of Lewis, Keaschall, or Clemens are likely to switch to the outfield because of how many options the Twins have in the outfield. I think Larnach is likely to be traded this offseason. Martin should be on the roster, which leaves Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, and Outman to compete for the final outfield spot. If it was up to me, I would go with Jenkins or Rodriguez to start the season, but I wouldn't be shocked if Outman was given the Opening Day spot, with a short leash to be replaced by one of the prospects.

[Major League Ready]

If Falvey actually thinks he has the personnel to compete it could get weird.  I just don’t believe he is that incompetent.  Sounds like sticking up for your guys kind of rhetoric but he knows they don’t have the personnel.  

If he is looking to rebuild, Larnach is traded this winter and it’s not that big of a mystery in terms of where this is likely to go.  There are a handful of guys in the mix.  Buxton and Martin have starting jobs to begin the season.  Wallner / Roden / Outman will compete for the 3rd starting spot.  Wallner is probably primarily a DH.  One of them will needs to be quite good over the course of the first 2-3 months of the season if Jenkins and/or Rodriquez proves they are ready to move up.  Both Jenkins and Rodriquez have more complete games and a higher ceiling.  Gonzalez is the wildcard.  I could see him talking Wallner's place as DH / part-time OFer at some point but that might be next year.   They end the season with Buxton and three of Jenkins / Rodriguez / Martin / Roden and Gonzalez.
 

[Greggory Masterson]

3 hours ago, TJSweens said:

Greggory even said it in the article.

Of course I know Greggory said that. I’m Greggory. At no point did I say Martin can’t be a productive player. I said with his skillset he has a narrow lane to productivity as a left fielder. He has to get on base a ton.

[TJSweens]

1 hour ago, Greggory Masterson said:

Of course I know Greggory said that. I’m Greggory. At no point did I say Martin can’t be a productive player. I said with his skillset he has a narrow lane to productivity as a left fielder. He has to get on base a ton.

"Martin seems resigned to left field, where his lack of power is a weakness". I don't think it's a weakness more than other positions.

Martin has that same narrow lane to productivity regardless of position. And that lane really isn't any narrower than a guy who can hit 25 hr, but doesn't get on base enough to get his OPS up to major league average. 

[ToriiRules!!]

It’s time to trade Buxton I love him but this front office and ownership is a complete joke let the guy chase a ring 

 

[Greglw3]

11 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

At this point most fans don't trust the Falvey additions - Kreider, Outman, Roden and they are not impressed by Wallner and Larnach.  

If it matters it is the hope for Walker, Rodriquez, and Gonzales that keeps fans interested.  With Martin as the number five OF - Wallner at DH or 1B.   

As usual this kind of take does not impact the good old FO so we wait and see. 

I agree with you. The best hope for the Twins lies with the trio of Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Rodriguez.

Larnach and Wallner have had extensive chances and been average to slightly below. Never has a "statistic", in OPS+, misrepresented a player’s season as much as Wallner’s.

Did everyone know that Wallner had 30 RBIs on his 22 HR. 

And he had a grand total of 10 RBIs for the whole season via single, double, triple, Groundout, Hit By Pitch or Sacrifice fly. Truly astonishing.

He also had the fewest RBIs on 22 HR in the history of the RBI statistic, since the early 1920’s. He missed tons of 95 MPH fastballs and has a hole up and in the size of the Grand Canyon. And a .204 batting average. Ugh.

My ranking of the OF, in order, would be Buxton, Martin, Gonzalez (slightly ahead of Jenkins at this point but not necessarily better, long term), Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Roden.

I don’t think we should be looking at a new era with a new manager and a really nice coaching staff, with Grady Sizemore available to work with that trio of uber talented outfielders, and be thinking Larnach or Wallner fits in. Same with Outman.

I think Martin and Buxton are locks and they just might find 2 of Gonzalez, Jenkins and E-Rod who are ready to be in the starting lineup opening day with Roden as a dark horse..

I would also have an open competition between Brooks Lee, Kaelen Culpepper and Fitzgerald for the SS job. Lee needs a legitimate challenge from Culpepper considering all the terrible chasing he did last year. I have a sneaking suspicion Culpepper has the better tools to be an exciting difference maker for the Twins.

 

 

[Fatbat]

Im intrigued by Roden getting a shot at 1B. Also, how please don’t play half the list. At all. In an MLB outfield. Its time to play the prospects. Jenkins, Erod and Gabby.  Buck/Wallner and the 3 kiddos would make a nice OF rotation. 

[Doctor Wu]

18 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

I’m still holding out hope that they trade Larnach for a Fulmer/Coulombe type reliever.

That would be ideal. If the Twins can get ANY decent relief pitcher for Larnach do it ASAP. 

[Doctor Wu]

6 hours ago, Greglw3 said:

Did everyone know that Wallner had 30 RBIs on his 22 HR. 

One of the most bizarrely depressing stats in recent years. But is the blame for that on Wallner, or the fact that the Twins had very few men on base every time he came to bat?

[TL]

Need to use this surplus of 4th outfielders to rebuild a bullpen. Any or all of Outman, Larnach, Martin, Roden, Clemens could help that cause and pave the way for the youth movement. Gonzalez being right-handed seems to have a lot of value as a platoon bat/DH/PH.

And Keaschall to the OF (or 1B) may get a lot of steam soon if we get lucky in the draft lottery, but I’d give him 2026 to try and stick at second.

[Russ]

Falvey and company are the wrong people making these decisions.  Their player evaluation, player development skills are horrible.   Even with the fire sale, not much was "hauled in".  We are suppose to accept 2025 and come back for more 

[Otaknam]

Given the abundance of left handed hitting outfielders and lack of first base depth, I’m surprised they haven’t tried Wallner at first base. Maybe they will experiment with him there in the spring. If so, he should be taking ground balls all off season, but I have not read anything about that. I doubt that Martin is penciled in as the starting left fielder, as someone posted. He is the classic utility player, and provides speed off the bench. He can play both outfield and infield in a pinch, but his lack of power holds him back. Still, if he keeps hitting line drives, hits .270-.290, gets on base with gap power, draws some walks, and steals some bases he will be an asset. It’s an indictment of Rocco that he never utilized the speed they had, until the carpet bombing of the roster at the trade deadline. Then, all of a sudden, after four months, Rocco discovered that maybe their anemic offense could use a jolt by stealing some bases. So they spent the rest of the season stealing multiple bases every night. Good riddance to Rocco for being so obtuse to base running and utilizing the speed they had.