Why Do the Twins Keep Playing with a Short Roster?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins have emphasized versatility when constructing their roster over the last few seasons. Players capable of handling multiple positions give manager Derek Shelton (or former manager Rocco Baldelli) more options when building his lineup, mixing and matching based on opposing pitchers, injuries, or late-game situations.

On paper, it makes plenty of sense.A flexible roster should maximize matchups while allowing the Twins maintain depth without sacrificing offense. But despite all that versatility, Minnesota has spent much of the 2026 season effectively operating with a 25-man roster. One player has consistently occupied the final bench spot while rarely receiving opportunities to contribute.

Why would the Twins do this? The answer, like in many aspects of life, is complicated. 

James Outman Never Found His Opportunity

To open the season, that player was James Outman. Acquired from the Dodgers last July, Outman entered spring training without any minor league options remaining. Rather than risk losing him, the Twins kept him on the Opening Day roster, hoping he could rediscover the tools that once made him one of baseball's more intriguing young outfielders.

That opportunity never materialized. Outman started only 17 games despite appearing in 49 contests. Most of those appearances came as a late-inning defensive replacement or pinch runner instead of meaningful offensive opportunities. It's difficult for any hitter to establish a rhythm under those circumstances, but Outman also failed to capitalize on the limited chances he did receive.

He slashed just .156/.229/.250 (.479 OPS) with five extra-base hits in 70 plate appearances while producing -0.3 rWAR. The Twins eventually designated him for assignment in mid-June, and the Detroit Tigers claimed him off waivers. For Minnesota, the experiment quietly came to an end.

Kyler Fedko Is Following the Same Path

Outman's departure created an opportunity for Kyler Fedko. The Twins' 12th-round selection from the University of Connecticut in the 2021 MLB Draft has steadily climbed the organizational ladder and finally forced the club's hand with his production at Triple-A St. Paul.

Fedko hit .286/.372/.578 with a .950 OPS through 58 games with the Saints this season. He blasted 15 home runs, drove in 45 runs, scored 44 times, and added nine stolen bases. After swiping 38 bases across Double-A and Triple-A last season, he has continued to show the blend of athleticism and power that made him one of the organization's biggest breakout stories.

Yet, his first taste of the big leagues has looked remarkably similar to Outman's. Since arriving in Minnesota, Fedko has started only three games despite appearing in 12. Through his first 17 plate appearances, he has gone 0-for-14 with one RBI, one run scored, and a 7-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

More telling is how those opportunities have come. Only three of his appearances have included more than two plate appearances. In six games, he entered solely as a pinch runner or defensive replacement without ever stepping into the batter's box. For a player trying to prove he belongs in the majors, those scattered opportunities make an already difficult adjustment even more challenging.

Is This the Best Use of a Roster Spot?

The question isn't necessarily whether Fedko deserves everyday playing time. The Twins have Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall, Trevor Larnach, and other established outfield options ahead of him. Finding consistent at-bats isn't easy for a contending club trying to win every night.

But if the coaching staff doesn't envision enough opportunities for Fedko to play, why keep him in Minnesota at all? As I wrote about earlier this season, the answer is likely that the front office doesn’t believe in Fedko. 

Regular at-bats in St. Paul would likely do more for his long-term development than sitting on the end of the major league bench. Meanwhile, the Twins could use that roster spot on another bench bat who better fits their game-planning needs.

Instead, they've now spent months carrying players whose primary responsibilities have been running the bases or replacing someone defensively in the ninth inning. That's a luxury few teams can afford over a six-month season.

A Familiar Pattern

This isn't simply about Outman or Fedko. It's about a roster construction strategy that has left one spot largely unused for much of the year. In previous years, the Twins have done this with players like DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Carson McCusker. Whether the Twins are trying to preserve organizational depth, evaluate players, or simply avoid exposing someone to waivers, the result has been the same.

One player rarely plays. With the American League Wild Card race expected to remain tight throughout the summer, every roster spot becomes increasingly valuable. Injuries pile up, rosters get taxed, and bench depth can decide close games. If the final player on the roster isn't receiving meaningful opportunities, it's fair to wonder whether that spot could be better utilized elsewhere.

The Twins have built a roster around flexibility. Ironically, their handling of the final bench spot has been anything but.

Can the Twins continue to survive with a 25-man roster while one player gathers dust at the end of the bench? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

Well then no one should be concerned if Jackson is holding that spot for the next 5 - 6 weeks as the 3rd catcher. 

[dxpavelka]

So the REAL question is:  Do the Twins handle said roster spot significantly different than other teams?  Outman had 70 plate appearances in 58 games before his release.  That projects to 195 over 162 games.  I'd be willing to bet you'd be hard pressed to find too many teams with a final guy pushing two hundred plate appearances.  Pinch hitting, pinch running and defensive replacement are usually the roles for such fellas.  Don't think the Twins are much different than other teams in their use of that guy.  That's baseball.

[FlyingFinn]

If the 13th guy is starting 4 or 5 days a week, that means starters are on the bench for 4 or 5 days per week more.

[Whitey333]

Kind of grasping for things to write about?  But on the serious side your analysis is quite right.  Why waste a roster spot.  The same can also be said of players that are injured yet dont go on the Injued List.  Too many times players sit for several days without going on IL.  This also creates poor roster management and hampers Sheltons game management

[LewFordLives]

As the article mentions, you can't get enough at bats for everyone. So do you sit a top prospect like Jenkins at the end of the bench or some AAAA type that you just need to pinch run or pick up a glove late in a game?  If the Twins are still in the playoff picture when the calendar turns to August it will be interesting to see how the roster might change. 

[mikelink45]

Interesting essay.  McCusker and Fedko were handled badly.  They needed an everyday opportunity for at least a week to adjust and show what they have.  Outman was a vet, he not only failed this year, but last year too.  Jackson makes sense if we are looking to trade Jeffers or Bell which would give Caratini and Jeffers DH time. 

[arby58]

The 13th player is 13th for a reason. Pretty much every team has something similar. For Cleveland, it is Gabriel Arias - 5 years in MLB, cumulative 1.1 WAR, but he can play anywhere on the infield. Has 97 PAs in 31 games this year.

[tony&rodney]

Maybe because 25 people is enough for the roster.

[IndianaTwin]

I wonder if Reds Daily, at the 1975 All-Star Break, had an article questioning why Doug Flynn was getting so little playing time. 

The Twins don't have Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez, et al., but the same general principle applies. Maximize the playing time for your best players; minimize the playing time for your weaker players. 

[chpettit19]

43 minutes ago, arby58 said:

The 13th player is 13th for a reason. Pretty much every team has something similar. For Cleveland, it is Gabriel Arias - 5 years in MLB, cumulative 1.1 WAR, but he can play anywhere on the infield. Has 97 PAs in 31 games this year.

That's 27 more PAs in 19 fewer games than James Outman had with the Twins this year. I don't think that's the same at all. He's a short-side platoon guy. Outman would've been the big side of a platoon but wasn't even that. 

The Twins use of the 13th spot is absolutely not the norm in modern baseball. Teams don't tend to roster guys they don't trust to hit against anyone ever. They have some platoon spots so there'll be guys who don't play as many games (like Arias) because they're righties who only hit against lefties, but it is not typical to carry a guy you don't ever trust to step into the batter's box against any pitcher ever.

[saviking]

Could it have to do with the fact that if you added all of their atbats together they probably hit a robust .120 

[stringer bell]

Well, nine position players start each game. That leaves four players to comprise the bench. The typical construction is a second catcher, a fourth outfielder (perhaps a platoon) and a utility infielder. That would be Caratini, Martin and Gray. The three-man bench backs up and rests everybody, leaving the 13th position for some kind of specialist, perhaps a veteran pinch-hitter or a pinch-runner and defender (sounds like Outman). The roles can change over time--Willi Castro started 2023 as the 13th position player--but the opportunites are few unless there are injuries or circumstances which call for going with the 13th guy. It also makes sense not to burn service time for a yound guy with potential to have him start once or twice a week at most. Outman, Fedko, McCusker, and now Jackson all fit as 13th guys, as did DaShawn Keirsey Jr. last season.