Can Twins Afford to Play Trevor Larnach Regularly in the Outfield?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The season opened with the Twins on the road in Baltimore, and while the results were mixed, the early days of a new year often reveal more about process than outcome. There is a different voice in the dugout now, and with Derek Shelton taking over for Rocco Baldelli, every lineup card and late-inning decision is being examined through a new lens.

Shelton’s arrival brings a natural curiosity. Baldelli’s tenure was defined by structure, matchup optimization, and an often deliberate deployment of players based on handedness and rest. Shelton, at least early on, appears more willing to lean into everyday roles, even if it means living with some of the trade-offs that come with them. That shift may not define every aspect of the 2026 Twins, but it's already surfacing in one of the more interesting roster decisions: how the team plans to use Trevor Larnach.

A Spring Plan That Never Materialized
For much of the spring, it seemed that the Twins would have a platoon in left field, with Austin Martin starting against left-handed pitchers and either James Outman or Alan Roden playing against right-handed pitchers. Outman beat out Roden for the backup outfielder job, but that might have been because Outman was out of options and Roden still had an option year remaining. One apparent consequence of that choice would be to put stronger defensive options in left and allow Larnach to DH more regularly. Instead, though, it looks like Larnach will get a good bit of time there more than Outman.

“He’s going to have to play the outfield,” Shelton said of Larnach. “I know he DH’d 81 games last year and played the outfield early. The way the function of our roster is, he’s going to have to play the field. Because we do have [Josh Bell], we do have [Victor Caratini]. … And if you ask Trevor, he would prefer to play the outfield. So it’s just going to be trying to manage the volume and how long it actually happens in the game.”

That quote does more than explain a single decision. It outlines a philosophical shift. The Twins aren't simply optimizing for defense late in games or protecting Larnach from exposure in the field. They're prioritizing getting as many bats into the lineup as possible, even if it creates defensive compromises along the way.

A Roster Built Around Bats
The reality of this roster is that Josh Bell and Victor Caratini are going to be in the lineup regularly, just like Ryan Jeffers and Kody Clemens. There are simply too many hitters the Twins want to play on a given night, and not enough defensive utility among them to make it all fit cleanly.

As a result, the designated hitter spot becomes a rotation, rather than a fixed role. When that spot is occupied, it leaves Larnach without an easy landing place, forcing him back into left field more often than originally anticipated. That, in turn, shifts Outman into a more limited role that leans on late-game defense, pinch-hitting and pinch-running opportunities, and occasional work in center field.

It's a domino effect that starts with roster construction. Under Baldelli, that may have resulted in more rigid platoons or defensive substitutions earlier in games. Under Shelton, at least for now, it looks like they're willing to stretch the defensive alignment to keep the offense intact.

Larnach’s Defensive Issues
During the 2025 season, Larnach didn’t play enough in the outfield to qualify for leaderboards, but his totals were poor even in limited action. He cost the team 7 runs, according to Statcast. His expected catch percentage was 91%; his actual catch percentage was 87%.

Those gaps matter. They point to both range limitations and inefficiency in converting balls that should be outs. Over a full season, that kind of defensive profile can quietly cost a team many runs and potentially games.

His arm strength has also become more of an issue in recent seasons. In 2021 and 2022, he was above the league average, including an 87.0 MPH mark in 2022. He's dropped to 84.0 MPH or less over the last three seasons, which ranks below average among outfielders.

Put simply, Larnach isn't an average defender in left field. He's a bat-first player being asked to take on a role that exposes one of his weaknesses. Also, his bat hasn’t been strong enough in recent years to make up for his defensive flaws.

The Trade-Off the Twins Are Willing to Make
This is where Shelton’s approach becomes clear. The Twins are betting that Larnach’s offensive contributions outweigh the defensive cost. There's logic to that. Run prevention is critical, but so is run creation, and Minnesota’s roster leans heavily toward offense. If Larnach produces at the plate, the defensive shortcomings can be managed through positioning, late-game substitutions, and selective rest.

The real question is not whether Larnach can survive in left field on a given night. It's whether the cumulative impact over a full season is something the Twins can absorb while still competing. So far, the plan seems to be to start Larnach against right-handed pitchers, but aggressively deploy Martin and Outman defensively.

If Shelton continues down this path, it will mark one of the clearest differences from the Baldelli era. Less rigidity. More emphasis on everyday roles. And a greater willingness to live with imperfection in one area to maximize strength in another. Whether that balance holds could go a long way in defining the Twins’ 2026 season.

---

Can the Twins continue to play Larnach regularly in left? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

View full article

[thelanges5]

They tendered him a contract and didn’t/couldn't trade him. They’ve left themselves little choice with this roster. 

[DJL44]

I think Larnach is better at LF than Bell is at 1B.

[tony&rodney]

Well, the third out fell for a double yesterday and two runs scored via the next batter, The strategy relies on Larnach providing enough offense to overcome his defensive shortcomings. He might need to have a .900 OPS to accomplish that trick. I guess we shall how it plays out. So far? Not so hot.

The front office went heavy for DH types in recent years, but they did shift to an extent and there is hope in AAA. Gonzalez is a DH type, but Jenkins and Rodriguez are solid gloves. Can they hit their way to Target Field by June?

[The Great Hambino]

If your plan is to sacrifice defense in the name of a bat, and that lefthanded bat is batting seventh in a mediocre lineup against righthanded starters ... I think there might be a flaw in your plan.

 

[Trov]

I want to ask why does Caratini and Clemons just deserve to be put into line up?  I ask because it seems like they will get as many at bats as can be had.  Caratini is a career OPS+ of 90.  Clemons is Career OPS+ of 80.  Even in his "breakout" year where Twins finally gave the guy a shot, as the broadcast loves to talk about, it was OPS+ 91.  How can below league average hitters just be given all the at-bats we can give them?  I mean if that is the plan this year I feel like I should stop watching now. 

I was upset that both Clemons and Larnach were on the team, as I feel both are easy replaced with guys that have higher upside. At least with Larnach his bat has been league average over his career, but if that is worth putting league average in field but below average defender we have to be able to find better in our dozen out field guys we got.

Caratini may be okay on offense, but really he needs to get a DH every time he is not catching?  I sure hope we see some shake up in roster in the coming weeks as the minor league guys show something. When you need to make room for two career below average hitters, with hardly having double digit HR power over their careers you are scraping the bottom of the barrel. 

[USAFChief]

It's odd this hasn't been discussed 4575 times over the winter. 

 

Although, to be fair, "the Twins have too many bats" is a new take.

Edited March 30 by USAFChief

[Rod Carews Birthday]

It’s pretty simple actually.  If Larnach hits well, it is possible to overlook his defensive deficiencies.  The extreme example is Ted Williams (it is said he just didn’t care about defense).  In this case, an .800 OPS would probably do it, and in 2024 he was close to that.. If you believe he’s going to get better, that’s not an unreasonable bet.  If you think that was his peak, get him out of the outfield.  

I fully agree that he should no longer be on this team and that we should all be complaining about the other players in LF, but he’s here. Shelton is going to need to use him to the best of his capabilities whether we want him to or not. 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

31 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

It’s pretty simple actually.  If Larnach hits well, it is possible to overlook his defensive deficiencies.  The extreme example is Ted Williams (it is said he just didn’t care about defense).  In this case, an .800 OPS would probably do it, and in 2024 he was close to that.. If you believe he’s going to get better, that’s not an unreasonable bet.  If you think that was his peak, get him out of the outfield.  

I fully agree that he should no longer be on this team and that we should all be complaining about the other players in LF, but he’s here. Shelton is going to need to use him to the best of his capabilities whether we want him to or not. 

Agree with this. I thought Larnach's usage was spot on this weekend. Having him hit and pulling him for a defensive replacement/PH scenario late in the game was (I thought) correct.

Continuing to complain about his presence is not going to change the fact that he is currently on the roster and a better offensive choice than the alternatives. If he hits well enough, he will get the lion's share of time in LF.

[LA Vikes Fan]

2 hours ago, Trov said:

I want to ask why does Caratini and Clemons just deserve to be put into line up?  I ask because it seems like they will get as many at bats as can be had.  Caratini is a career OPS+ of 90.  Clemons is Career OPS+ of 80.  Even in his "breakout" year where Twins finally gave the guy a shot, as the broadcast loves to talk about, it was OPS+ 91.  How can below league average hitters just be given all the at-bats we can give them?  I mean if that is the plan this year I feel like I should stop watching now. 

I was upset that both Clemons and Larnach were on the team, as I feel both are easy replaced with guys that have higher upside. At least with Larnach his bat has been league average over his career, but if that is worth putting league average in field but below average defender we have to be able to find better in our dozen out field guys we got.

Caratini may be okay on offense, but really he needs to get a DH every time he is not catching?  I sure hope we see some shake up in roster in the coming weeks as the minor league guys show something. When you need to make room for two career below average hitters, with hardly having double digit HR power over their careers you are scraping the bottom of the barrel. 

I couldn't agree more on Clemens. He is a below average hitter with a low average AND a low OBP, although he does have some power. He's pretty good at 1B, decent at 2B (and maybe 3B), and the epitome of average in LF. In other words, he is the 25th or 26th guy on a good team, probably in AAA on a championship contender (like he was with Philly). He's also almost 30 years old so he's likely at his ceiling. He is here to be used when necessary; he is NOT a guy you create opportunities for or feel compelled to use. He's fine as a bench guy playing 2 or 3 times a week, and should be replaced by midseason by a guy with higher upside even if that means Caratini and Bell have to play 1B.   

C'mon Jeremy, this is a year to position the roster for the future and hope you get lucky and contend. Trade Larnach for whatever is out there and get Roden up. Wait the 16 days until we can get the extra year and call up Culpepper to play SS (maybe Lee moves to a UTL slot). Lose Outman and bring up GG or Emma (I prefer GG since he's RH), move Bell to an everyday 1B, and rotate Wallner, Roden, Martin and GG through the corner OF slots and DH. Give the "young" guys their shot this year so you know what you have for next year.  

[SteveLV]

No.

[nicksaviking]

This defensive 'sacrifice' would make more sense if the Twin's free agent bats they added were legit #3 or #4 hitters. 

Since last July's big roster sell off, I don't think I've seen a move this club has made, on or off the field. that indicated there is a long term game plan. They seem to be winging it, making random decisions seemingly with no more depth of thought beyond, 'I'm bored today, let's do something.'

[Nshore]

In the off season it was obvious the Twins needed to rip the bandaid off and get more athletic in the outfield to generate some fan interest and at least start a transition. IMO that meant starting Martin/Roden and E-Rod, and jettisoning Larnach, Wallner and Outman.  Instead they kept the old guard.  Outman is "out of options"  - as I'm afraid are many of the fans.  They will stay home.

[DJL44]

3 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

If your plan is to sacrifice defense in the name of a bat, and that lefthanded bat is batting seventh in a mediocre lineup against righthanded starters ... I think there might be a flaw in your plan.

The bat they added is Bell. They added a DH when they needed a first baseman. They already had a DH.

[ashbury]

Can we afford to play him on the base paths?  He cost us an out yesterday.

[roger]

Add me to those who believe several of the kids should be here, and soon.  I will give the new GM a month or two to work thru this blockage.  But not until the deadline.

[Mike Sixel]

He shouldn't be on the roster, let alone in the field. 

[The Great Hambino]

42 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The bat they added is Bell. They added a DH when they needed a first baseman. They already had a DH.

I know it's early, but Bell has yet to touch his 1B mitt this season, and he's the DH again today with Caratini at first

[Mike Sixel]

2 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

I know it's early, but Bell has yet to touch his 1B mitt this season, and he's the DH again today with Caratini at first

Truly astounding given they have wallner and Larnach. Did they even have a plan?

[DJL44]

20 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

I know it's early, but Bell has yet to touch his 1B mitt this season, and he's the DH again today with Caratini at first

And that is probably the best choice defensively. A lousy 1B hurts the defense more than a lousy LF because 1B gets 4x more chances than LF.

 

[Sjoski]

6 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I think Larnach is better at LF than Bell is at 1B.

But...better to DH one, and leave the other on the bench. That's the problem the Twins created by signing both.

You don't pay Bell $7 million to sit on the pine, and you don't keep Larnach on the roster just to pinch-hit.

[JADBP]

Again:  it will take 3-4 years to work through the messes that Falvey and Rocco have baked into this team.  First, bad drafting.  Second, some horrible trades.  Third, some even worse non-trades!  Just bad roster-planning and -building all around.

I agree, Falvey did make some excellent trades (Ryan, Lopez) but that just doesn't overcome so many bad trades.

While I love Joe Ryan, I highly doubt that he will resign with the Twins, so we may have missed an outstanding opportunity to trade him last deadline or offseason.  The Red Sox offered two of their top three prospects, Payton Tolle, Jhostynxon Garcia, or Franklin Arias (all top 100 MLB prospects) in any combination. Apparently, Falvey asked for even more.

This is the Twins problem:  the roster is a mess because Falvey built this mess. The skills have not matured at the MLB level because Rocco did a poor job of coaching (except for perhaps pitchers--many of them arriving via trades (Lopez, Ryan, etc).  Now the next wave is sitting in StP, but the Twins remain committed to proving that this mess will be "competitive."  Maybe it is an ego/pride thing....they don't want to look like they made a bunch of bad decisions over the last several years....but THEY DID.  

The best thing they can do now is capitalize on the talent that is going to replace some of this mess, and as quickly as possible!  Next time, bite on the Ryan trade!  Unless he is willign to resign for a 3-5 year contract, let him go sooner rather than later so you can get a haul.  Get rid of all of these AAAA or one-dimensional players, like Larnach, Outman, Wallner and Ober.  Trade them out.  And start bringing up Emma, Prielipp, Culpepper, and Jenkins.  Make a plan to get MLB reps for additional players like Raya, Gonazles, and Rojas.  

The Twins don't need a teardown.  They need to face REALITY!  Wallner might hit 20-30 HR but he will cost 10 runs in RF and will K more than anyone else on the team.  Is he worth getting play over Emma?  No chance.  Who would you rather have in LF:  Larnach or Jenkins/Emma?  Start making smart decisions, instead of hoping that this team of misfits suddenly purrs like a NASCAR engine--its never gonna happen, so ......??????

[DJL44]

13 minutes ago, Sjoski said:

But...better to DH one, and leave the other on the bench. That's the problem the Twins created by signing both.

Shelton thinks it is better to play Larnach and Martin as a platoon in LF and Clemens and Caratini as a platoon at 1B.

[Sjoski]

3 hours ago, JADBP said:

it will take 3-4 years to work through the messes that Falvey and Rocco have baked into this team.  First, bad drafting.  Second, some horrible trades.  Third, some even worse non-trades!  Just bad roster-planning and -building all around.

I'm not sure how anyone could disagree with you. 

The collapse of this team began in August of 2024...its been all downhill since. That's not a small sample size. 

The proof is in the W-L columns....no need to critique Falvey and his ability to build a winning baseball culture.

 

[ashbury]

8 hours ago, DJL44 said:

And that is probably the best choice defensively. A lousy 1B hurts the defense more than a lousy LF because 1B gets 4x more chances than LF.

 

75% of which is receiving throws from players trying their best (and not always succeeding) to make it easy for him to catch, as opposed to batters trying their best (and not always succeeding) to hit fly balls that are difficult to catch.

[Vanimal46]

8 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Truly astounding given they have wallner and Larnach. Did they even have a plan?

[Vanimal46]

6 hours ago, JADBP said:

While I love Joe Ryan, I highly doubt that he will resign with the Twins, so we may have missed an outstanding opportunity to trade him last deadline or offseason. 

If you heard his in-game interview the 2nd game of the season, it doesn't sound like he has any intention of staying here whenever he has the choice. 

[Mike Sixel]

36 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

If you heard his in-game interview the 2nd game of the season, it doesn't sound like he has any intention of staying here whenever he has the choice. 

Good thing they didn't trade him in a lost season....

[Riverbrian]

23 hours ago, Cody Christie said:

He cost the team 7 runs, according to Statcast. His expected catch percentage was 91%; his actual catch percentage was 87%.

People just throw this **** around. 

Do I believe we have better defensive outfielders. Yes I do.. but people just throw this **** around. 

Exactly how did Trevor cost the team 7 runs? Tell me how the process works. I know the answer... but feel free to step up to the plate and break it down for me. 

91% expected catch and 87% actual? Please break this down for me.

441 innings in the OF... 119 Total Chances. If it was 100 total chances... That is 4 balls that he didn't catch to take him from 91 to 87%.

441 innings in the OF... 119 Total chances... that's a ball hit in his direction every 3.7 innings and he is going to get tagged with 7 runs? To drop from 91% to 87% how many games per missed opportunity? 

Please people... think this through. 

Anyone can step up and break it down for me. If you can't... I'd recommend stop throwing this **** around. 

[MinnInPa]

Wallner shouldnt be in the filed either ..unless he learned 1st base. put him at Dh and put more athletic players in RF