Grading the Minnesota Twins' 2025-2026 Offseason

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Pitchers and catchers report to Twins camp in Ft. Myers Wednesday. With that milestone comes the annual ritual of looking back at what the Twins did (or didn’t do) over the winter. This offseason was not defined by splashy headlines or aggressive spending. Instead, it was marked by modest depth additions and a series of transactions that mostly reshuffled the bottom of the roster. Minnesota thus enters spring training with many of the same questions it had when the season ended—and, perhaps, with a bit more business left to do.

Free Agents

• 1B/DH Josh Bell 1-year, $7 million
• C Victor Caratini 2-years, $14 million
• LHP Taylor Rogers 1-year, $2 million

The most notable additions came through free agency, starting with Bell. Signing the slugger to a one-year deal worth $7 million was a strong way to open the winter. He provides an immediate offensive upgrade for a lineup that badly needed a reliable veteran bat. Bell’s switch-hitting power lengthens the order and gives the Twins some much-needed stability, regardless of whether he plays first base or DH.

The downside is his defense. Bell is a clear liability at first base, which is why he might spend more time as the designated hitter. That creates some roster tension, as Minnesota already has several players who profile best there (including Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach), along with some lineup regulars who will need partial rest days.

Caratini’s two-year, $14-million deal raised more eyebrows. The Twins have been open about their desire to give Ryan Jeffers regular time behind the plate, and they also acquired Alex Jackson in a trade with Baltimore. Jackson is out of minor-league options, which complicates the roster math. Carrying three catchers seems unlikely, unless Caratini sees frequent time at first base or designated hitter. (General manager Jeremy Zoll indicated when the signing became official that Caratini could play those spots.) That said, catching depth is rarely a bad thing, and Caratini provides a steady presence with experience handling pitching staffs.

Rogers returned on a one-year, $2-million deal, addressing the need for bullpen depth at a reasonable cost. The issue is that this move alone does not come close to replacing what the Twins lost last summer, when five relievers were dealt away at the trade deadline. The bullpen remains inexperienced, and while the front office has spoken openly about adding another arm, the free agent market is essentially dry. That leaves trades or internal conversions as the only realistic paths forward.

Trades:

• Acquired C Alex Jackson from the Orioles for 2B Payton Eeles
• Acquired 1B Eric Wagaman from the Marlins for LHP Kade Bragg
• Acquired IF Tristan Gray from the Red Sox for C Nate Baez
• Acquired cash considerations from Mariners for C Jhonny Pereda
• Acquired RHP Jace Kaminska and cash from the Rockies for 2B Edouard Julien and RHP Pierson Ohl

The trade market brought volume, but little impact. Jackson came over from the Orioles. a move that clearly focused on raising the floor of the catching depth after Christian Vázquez departed in free agency. Wagaman and Gray were acquired as infield depth, but neither significantly changed the outlook of the roster. Pereda was moved shortly after the Caratini signing, making his brief stint in the organization officially forgettable. The most notable transaction sent Julien and Ohl to Colorado for Kaminska and cash considerations, a deal that largely reflected roster management decisions at the fringes of the 40-man roster. None of these trades made the Twins meaningfully better for 2026. They added depth and flexibility, but not wins.

When you zoom out, the offseason feels uninspiring. Bell, Caratini, and Rogers are useful players, but none move the needle significantly. The roster looks deeper, but not stronger. That reality was underscored by the unexpected news that longtime baseball head Derek Falvey and the Twins mutually parted ways just as spring training approached, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already underwhelming winter.

 

There is still time for the front office to make a meaningful addition before Opening Day, but as things stand now, this offseason earns a D. It is a passing grade only in the sense that the Twins showed up and turned something in. There is a chance to resubmit the assignment, but it will require more than marginal depth moves to change the final mark.

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What grade would you give the Twins for this winter? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[AceWrigley]

Probably the most underwhelming roster offseason in memory.

[Jacksson]

"F" = is there any grade lower than that?

[LambchoP]

As the roster looks now, F. We knew going into the off-season they needed to completely rebuild the pen, which they haven't done. Our horrible defense from last year has actually gotten worse. We will be battling CHI for last place in the AL Central I'm guessing:(

[Jacksson]

TRIPLE F as in Flavey Finally Fired.

[AceWrigley]

So, if Josh Bell is wearing an AARP on his jersey, does that mean he is really old?

[bean5302]

Grade = F

Standard operating procedure for Falvey run front offices.

Bullpen? Not addressed.

SS? Not addressed.

DH? Not addressed.

Bunch of depth signings we don't need? Addressed.

[The Great Hambino]

Bell is another addition to the amorphous blob of mediocrity gumming up 1B/DH

Caratini potentially could raise the floor the most, but that's partially due to simply replacing Vasquez, who was a bottomless pit at the plate.  At least he provides some cover for the position next year.  This was probably my favorite move.

Rogers was needed, but he's not a high leverage option on a good team anymore.  The amount of proven high leverage options in the bullpen still maxes out at one, and that's being very generous toward Sands.

The trades were little more than shuffling deck chairs.  Depth has improved, but something will have gone wrong if any of them find themselves to be regular starters this year.

You could argue that every move raised their floor and that none raised their ceiling.  They need to raise the ceiling if they're serious about being competitive.  And since there are no more ceiling-raising moves to be made without sending out some near-major league ready prospects (which they aren't going to do), then they're just wishing/hoping/praying on internal development to raise that ceiling. 

In other words, they're putting out what's largely the same starting unit as the end of last year and expecting different results.  Is there a word for that?

[stringer bell]

The subtractions have been from the margins, the additions added to the margins, by and large. Their is a new guy in charge of the ownership group, the front office and the field staff, but the transactions are very similar to the past.

It probably goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. If you want talent in a trade, you have to give up talent and if you want talent in a free agent you have to pay a substantial amount for it. 

[Blyleven2011]

Off season grading is easy , every year it's an F ...

No creativity , no strategy and a strange plan , pitching is a strength but the rest of the roster is a mess with no moves to solve the holes , keep trotting out the same players year after year in hope that they will be more competitive ...

We are starting a new season with a new manager and some changes in coaching , it's a fresh start , spring training right around the corner the players will need to impress to make the roster , only the best need to make the roster , those ( AAAA )with no options shouldn't be given a roster spot with any worties of losing them on waivers ...

[Parfigliano]

18 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

Bell is another addition to the amorphous blob of mediocrity gumming up 1B/DH

Caratini potentially could raise the floor the most, but that's partially due to simply replacing Vasquez, who was a bottomless pit at the plate.  At least he provides some cover for the position next year.  This was probably my favorite move.

Rogers was needed, but he's not a high leverage option on a good team anymore.  The amount of proven high leverage options in the bullpen still maxes out at one, and that's being very generous toward Sands.

The trades were little more than shuffling deck chairs.  Depth has improved, but something will have gone wrong if any of them find themselves to be regular starters this year.

You could argue that every move raised their floor and that none raised their ceiling.  They need to raise the ceiling if they're serious about being competitive.  And since there are no more ceiling-raising moves to be made without sending out some near-major league ready prospects (which they aren't going to do), then they're just wishing/hoping/praying on internal development to raise that ceiling. 

In other words, they're putting out what's largely the same starting unit as the end of last year and expecting different results.  Is there a word for that?

5 words...."Twins Baseball.  Catch the fever."

[gman]

45 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

As the roster looks now, F. We knew going into the off-season they needed to completely rebuild the pen, which they haven't done. Our horrible defense from last year has actually gotten worse. We will be battling CHI for last place in the AL Central I'm guessing:(

Unfortunately I don't think it will be a battle.

[gman]

I think any further roster moves this year will only cut payroll.

[Brandon]

They self mutilated last trade deadline in the pen.  This is supposed to be a rebuilding/ reloading year for next year as we rebuild the pen and work in the starting pitchers at the back of the rotation.  We have 3 OF and a SS coming up through the minors at some point this season.  We got the best value at the positions we did address.  I think Bell could hit 25-30 HRs and have 75-85 RBI which is what he was brought here to do.  Arcia was brought in to be the back up IF/ SS.  I think his bat is potentially better than IFK.  At least the same at a lower cost.  Cartini was the best backup C on the market which keeps our offense at C above league average.  I'm good with the position player side of things.  We are giving players a chance to develop and have the flexibility to swap them out with younger players if need be and we have veteran insurance if we need that too.  On the pitching side of things the rotation is good cause we didn't move anyone and the pen still needs another arm possibly two.  So the pen gets an I for now or D.  They do get credit for bringing back Rogers on a low cost one year deal.  He likely could have doubled that if he wanted to.  But still the gaping whole that needs some help.  

[stringer bell]

To pile on just a bit more, the areas of depth (and perhaps excess) on the Twins are bat-first corner OF/DH/1B and starting pitcher. After four months, this is still true. Weaknesses (bullpen, infield depth) haven't been addressed substantially and their top two prospects will probably have to wait until a second wave of injuries or trades to get a shot in the big leagues. 

The order seems to be "we will contend, but we won't spent (much)"  and leaves only a perfect threading of the needle to come true. If the Twins want to contend this year, I think they need to cashier one or two players for a return that both includes prospect and major league talent. I would submit the Ryan could bring back a solid major leaguer and prospect(s) and Jeffers also could bring back a solid player and perhaps a prospect. Trading Larnach isn't going to bring back impact, but would ease the numbers in the corner OF/DH crowd. Maybe trading Wallner is an answer--I think he could bring back a solid reliever and maybe a prospect, but he also might be part of an improved product next year or two years hence.

[rdehring]

Interesting read, Cody.  Thanks.

Thought about your grade 'D' and kept wondering, should it be C-?  After some thought came to realization that no, your D is probably where it should be.

The off-season can get much better should the GM do what they all are saying, ie, bring in another bullpen arm, or two?  The only way I can see them doing that is via a trade, which to me means moving Larnach as the most logical move.

Regarding the pen, do they really believe they have a couple young arms on the roster who WILL become the next Duran and Jax?  We don't know what they know.  If this is their plan I sure hope they are right.

[Cris E]

These articles should always include a jumping off point describing the state of the team last fall, what questions the organization had to answer, as well as any known plans that were already in motion. It would reveal biases, assumptions and fill in any missed items to give a more complete view of the thinking as ST opens.

In this case that would have included a lot more discussion about which kids were expected to arrive in time for 2026, which ones were not expected to survive the winter on the roster, and thus which holes would need to really be filled (eg 1B) versus those that just needed to be held until a prospect arrived to take it (eg SS or OF.) 

Specifically, they did not fill the bullpen vacancies to the extent they needed to. They may believe that a few converted starters will fill the void and that a couple months of OTJ training will have to suffice, but if that's the case then most of the rest of the world has doubts. They did fill in most holes on the field without blocking anyone, but they made no moves toward improvement. The team wasn't so good that a roll-over will be sufficient to win the ALC in 2026, but this idea that they are a 70 win team is just as false. 

A month ago DET and KC were a Skubal or Witt injury away from 80 wins, which meant that the division was pretty wide open.  DET has now added enough pitching depth to really cement their chances (to the extent that anyone can in Feb.)  But it's easier to see 80 wins from this lineup than 70, so I'll watch the kids play and wait to se how things go.

 

[Cris E]

16 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

The order seems to be "we will contend, but we won't spent (much)"  and leaves only a perfect threading of the needle to come true. If the Twins want to contend this year, I think they need to cashier one or two players for a return that both includes prospect and major league talent. I would submit the Ryan could bring back a solid major leaguer and prospect(s) and Jeffers also could bring back a solid player and perhaps a prospect. Trading Larnach isn't going to bring back impact, but would ease the numbers in the corner OF/DH crowd. Maybe trading Wallner is an answer--I think he could bring back a solid reliever and maybe a prospect, but he also might be part of an improved product next year or two years hence.

I wouldn't trade these guys until it's clear this team can't win. That means another lost Lewis season and Lee's continued mediocrity and Culpepper not being ready and a few trips to the IL for some pitchers and a lot of inconsistency from the kids. It does not mean being six games on out May 20, or one guy not hitting. This is the season for testing and measuring, and it'll take some patience. 

[CRF]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

[mike8791]

Whatever grades you want to hand out, the one thing that is clear is that ownership is trying to thread the needle in 2026 by relying on several players, mainly Wallner, Lee and Lewis, to markedly improve this year.  This is a fool's errand, made more foolish by TP's assertion that the team can contend in 2026 without appreciably spending more money.  Understandably, Falvey wanted out and Zoll stepped up as the next scapegoat.  

In essence, the roster looks like a hope and prayer without any chance of significant improvement.  Leaving the bullpen sadly depleted all off season is the ultimate FU to the Twins fan base.  We can only hope that a sale comes sooner rather than later!

 

[Linus]

For me, the individual moves made or not made isn’t the story. The apparent lack of direction is what is really concerning to me. My fear is they are going to waste Ryan Lopez and Jeffers by trying to thread a very small needle in 2026. Ironically I don’t think the fan base is going to feel much different if they blew it up or if they go 82-80. Please pick a direction and pursue it. 

[NYCTK]

The hope of the offseason was the sale of the team. The Pohlads ****ed that up.

The grade is easily an F. 

We don't have to skirt around the issue. This team both did nothing to move forward their terrible ownership situation nor improve on the field. 

It's an F. 

[sweetmusicviola16]

At this point an F. Maybe they'll salvage something from some solid ST moves but the off season was a failure. It started with not firing your top guy November 01 and letting the new guy hire your manager and the new guy making all of the off season trades and signings. Dysfunction.

[sweetmusicviola16]

34 minutes ago, Linus said:

For me, the individual moves made or not made isn’t the story. The apparent lack of direction is what is really concerning to me. My fear is they are going to waste Ryan Lopez and Jeffers by trying to thread a very small needle in 2026. Ironically I don’t think the fan base is going to feel much different if they blew it up or if they go 82-80. Please pick a direction and pursue it. 

Yes. I would much rather see 65-70 wins for 2-3 seasons if you're making legitimate strides than seeing 75-80 wins over that same time frame when all you're doing is treading water. We have some pieces in place. But we have some pieces that should be moved to improve the teams future. And we have some pieces that it's just time to move on from. But 75-80 wins isn't exciting very many when the direction seems off. 

[IndianaTwin]

A positive to the offseason is some of the moves they didn't do. They didn't bring on anyone who blocks a legitimate prospect.

Folks have been clamoring to "let the kids play." No additions to the roster this offseason block younger players such as Keaschall, Lee and a whole host of pitching possibilities. It allows for finding whether guys like Wallner and Larnach can reclaim any past success they have had. At the same time, keeping Ryan, Lopez and Ober means that the pitching staff doesn't have to rely solely on youth. We'll see, but that also seems like a mindset that will allow them to move on from Clemens, Roden, Outman, et. al, if Jenkins and others push the envelope.

[DJL44]

Absolutely brutal offseason. Signing Caratini is the only move I like. Adding Tristan Gray might be the #2 move of the offseason which is just pathetic. They're headed into spring training with James Outman still on the roster and both Travis Adams and John Klein penciled into the bullpen. Trevor Larnach was re-signed for $4.7M even though they have five other outfielders who could be just as good or better making league minimum. They totally mismanaged their tiny budget.

[OregonTwinsFan]

At this point, I would give them an 'incomplete'. I would like to think there will be some trades and roster refinement before opening day. If the roster stays like it is for opening day, then they get an 'F'.

[ziggy]

Quote

The amount of proven high leverage options in the bullpen still maxes out at one, and that's being very generous toward Sands.

He was number 6 last July and the 5 better guys got traded. Not sure if the high leverage adage should be given by default but here we are.

Rather than looking at trades as much as anything the Twins need to play good fundamental baseball which includes better defense. If the off season moves brought in coaches that can teach that then the grade goes up, but otherwise a 'D' seems a bit high for this off season.

 

[minman1982]

I have to give this offseason an F. The FO did not address any of the team needs and the roster as it is now is not significantly different from the roster at the end of last season. The Twins after the 2025 Trade Deadline were not a good team. I don't see the current roster being any better. I almost would have been happier with them trading Buxton, Ryan, Jeffers, and Lopez and tearing the team down to its studs to begin a full rebuild. 

[Whitey333]

They get another F for another crummy off season.  Nothing has really changed.  Same old same old.