Envisioning the 2027 Twins Starting Lineup

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Twins' offense has not been a strength this year, nor has it been a weakness. By wOBA and fWAR, they have been exactly average, ranking 15th out of 30 MLB teams. They are 10th overall in runs scored, thanks mostly to an unsustainable RISP rate that has faded in the second half, but have fallen to 23rd here in a month of August that essentially knocked them out of contention.

Next year's team is going to have legitimate contention hopes, and that's before you factor any offseason moves. It begins with their pitching staff, which figures to be extremely deep with Pablo López, Mick Abel, David Festa and others hopefully returning from injury. The bullpen has been given a year to develop and should be in a much better place entering the 2027 season versus 2026.

This has the makings of a good team. What will determine its true upside is how good the offense can be. Are we looking at another middle-of-the-road unit like we saw this year? Or can the Twins' lineup evolve into something special as young talent melds with veteran leadership? 

Here's my early projection of a 2027 starting lineup for the Twins, along with some thoughts and questions we need to see answered in September and the offseason for each. 

1. Luke Keaschall, DH
Keaschall has firmly established himself as the team's leadoff hitter, now and going forward. He's batted atop the order in 12 consecutive games and I'd be surprised if he moves away for anything other than an injury. The honor is well deserved for Keaschall, whose .416 OBP since the start of July ranks 3rd among MLB hitters.

He provides everything you'd want from a leadoff man, whether the role is being viewed through an old-school or new-school lens. He takes good at-bats, handles the bat, hits for average, runs well and sets the table for the best hitters in the lineup. The question, of course, is where he fits in defensively. For now I've got him pegged as a regular DH who slides into an outfield corner against left-handers.

What to watch for in September: Where the Twins play Keaschall in the field, offering clues about how they envision fitting his bat into the 2027 lineup without locking him into DH.

2. Walker Jenkins, RF
Jenkins has been appearing at the bottom the order initially to ease pressure on a 21-year-old seeing his first major-league action, but soon enough I think it will become clear he's the best all-around hitter in the lineup, and that is who belongs in the No. 2 spot. Already we've seen Jenkins' smooth swing and ability to control the zone, and even his ability to hang tough against southpaws. 

He has the ability to do it all at the plate. I want to see his at-bats maximized. And slotting him in between two right-handed hitters will make it harder for opposing managers to play matchups in the late innings.

What to watch for in September: How quickly Jenkins adjusts to major-league pitching, particularly against left-handers, and whether he can already begin establishing himself as a fixture near the top of the order.

3. Byron Buxton, CF
A question mark at the moment, to be sure. Buxton is currently on the injured list for a third time in the past two months with a right hip impingement that won't go away. He's never been right since the issue first sprung up, slashing 172/.274/.203 in 74 plate appearances between IL stints. GM Jeremy Zoll has acknowledged that offseason surgery is on the table. 

What really makes the situation frustrating is that, before his hip started barking constantly, Buxton was as healthy and productive as ever. He earned a third All-Star nod in the first half by slashing .271/.328/.575 with 25 homers. That's the definition of a No. 3 hitter, and the ideal kind of slugger to have lined behind Keaschall and Jenkins. 

The hip thing does not look good for Buxton at the moment. But neither did his knee before October 2023 surgery to excise a plica finally resolved his recurring pain. Maybe he and the doctors can figure out some kind of similar course of action for the hip this offseason? For now that's what I'm banking on.

What to watch for in September: Whether Buxton returns at all, and if he does, whether his hip shows enough improvement to inspire confidence that rest and rehab can work, or further strengthens the case for offseason surgery.

4. Kody Clemens, 2B
The cleanup spot is the first one in the batting order that you come across and find a lack of credible fit among current options. It could have been Matt Wallner if he didn't fall out of the team's plans with a disastrous first half. It could eventually be Emmanuel Rodriguez. But for the moment, the most logical candidate would seem to be Clemens, who's made more starts at cleanup in 2026 than any Twin other than Josh Bell. 

Clemens makes a lot of outs, which is what gives me hesitation about putting him in the top half of the lineup. His .293 OBP is 15th-lowest among qualified MLB hitters. But the power tool is legit: 22 homers, 21 doubles and six triples. His .459 slugging percentage ranks second among MLB second basemen. Plus, batting him after Buxton gives you the ability to go R-L-R-L in the top four lineup spots.

I view Clemens as a placeholder, in multiple senses: in the cleanup spot, until someone more deserving emerges, and at second base, until Marek Houston comes up and takes over at short. 

What to watch for in September: Can Clemens can sustain his power production while improving his ability to reach base? This could determine whether he's viewed as a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat or more of a lower-lineup complementary piece.

5. Kaelen Culpepper, SS
In his limited time as a big-leaguer, we've already started to get a clear idea of who Culpepper is as a hitter. He's aggressive, he swings hard, and he hits the ball with authority. Culpepper has already notched two double and three homers, with bat speed and contact quality that jump out at you.

He also has a 16-to-4 K/BB ratio, which is the flip side to his offensive profile. I would expect him to be a power-first bat with a relatively low OBP, not unlike Clemens but hopefully with a little more discipline. Culpepper seems like a good fit to bat fifth, especially because it keeps with our pattern of alternating handedness.

What to watch for in September: How Culpepper's aggressive approach holds up as pitchers adjust to him, and whether he can tighten his strike-zone discipline without sacrificing the impact that has made his early arrival so encouraging.

6. Emmanuel Rodriguez, LF
Ready or not, here he comes. Rodriguez will be out of options next spring, meaning the Twins will have to bring him north out of camp. He's the major wild-card in my projected lineup as the only player who has yet to debut, and that's why I'd love to get a look at him in September. 

The profile here is pretty unique, with maxed-out power and patience to go along with a rare level of swing-and-miss tendency. It's not hard to imagine him best-suited for the bottom of the order initially, given the potential for overwhelm as he deals with MLB pitchers who can dot the borders of the zone, but I think Rodriguez will give you enough big swings to justify placement in the middle of the order. 

What to watch for in September: First and foremost, whether Rodriguez gets the call. If he does, how will his extreme three-true-outcomes profile translate against major-league pitching before he's forced onto the roster next spring?

7. Royce Lewis, 1B
Among players listed in this lineup projection, I feel least certain about Lewis being a member of the 2027 team. On the one hand, first base is a pretty easy position to address (see: Josh Bell) and Lewis has been rather unexceptional there. On the other hand, he'll still be relatively cheap via arbitration next year, and he's been decent enough to merit another attempt at unlocking his dormant upside. Especially given the lack of competing internal options.

At this time, I'd still be counting him in my plans, but Lewis has not shown enough offensively to deserve hitting in the top half of the order. I'm really interested to see how he finishes out this current season.

What to watch for in September: Whether Lewis can finally rediscover some sustained offensive impact down the stretch and give the Twins a compelling reason to keep betting on his upside in 2027.

8. Brooks Lee, 3B
An enigma. You look at Lee's underlying metrics and he grades out as one of the worst hitters in the league, with an xwOBA ranking in the 3rd percentile. And yet. He's tied for second among Twins position players in fWAR, and he's running an above-average .739 OPS. He doesn't do anything particularly well but he does everything well enough to be a productive and reliable starter in the infield.

Lee has a .287 career OBP and has yet to finish a season above .300. Until that changes, or he lifts his average out of the .240 range, I can't see much an argument for Lee hitting in a prime lineup position like he did on Sunday. But he's a relatively strong piece at the bottom of the order.

What to watch for in September: Whether Lee can finish the year with stronger underlying offensive indicators — more quality contact, more walks or simply more consistent production — to reinforce his case as more than a defense-and-versatility regular.

9. Victor Caratini, C
Outside of a hot streak in June, Caratini has been one of the worst hitters in baseball all year. I don't expect that to improve much heading into his age-33 season. But it bears noting that the bar for a No. 9 hitter is very low — the average MLB hitter in that lineup spot is slashing .228/.294/.349 this year.

For a catcher hitting at the bottom of the order, he's perfectly adequate. But it's certainly fun that the only clear-cut offensive liability in the 2027 lineup happens to play the same position as Minnesota's soon-to-be No. 1 prospect, Vahn Lackey, who is off to a ridiculous start in Cedar Rapids. 

What to watch for in September: How much the Twins lean on Caratini down the stretch, relative to the outgoing Ryan Jeffers, and whether they use the fading stakes to audition Alex Jackson more seriously as a presumptive 2027 backup.

Looing ahead at the 2027 lineup, and even starting to map things out a bit further, we can start to see a compelling convergence of the past wave and the new wave. The top prospects have officially arrived, so we no longer need to discuss their fit as theoretical. Now the real work begins. How good can this lineup be?

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[saviking]

Clemens at the 4 spot just doesn't feel right but have to admit we don't have a true 4 - 4 now. I hope Jenkins grows into it with time. You know, by the time he's 23 😄

[Whitey333]

Interesting lineup projections.  Ill take an unpopular stand by saying Buxton cannot be counted on to be in a starting lineup.  Hes proven that over the past 12 years.  Hoping that he will play most of the years and be productive like he was in 2025 and the first half of 2026 seems foolhardy at best.  Jenkins should be playing center field.  If it is mandatory to play Buxton put him in left or right to save wear and tear.  Since you cant ever count on him he is very disruptive to the roster.  Caratini isnt deserving of a spot either.  He has turned into a Vasquez type catcher.  A lot of good suggestions in your lineup.  Without an addition or two to it and the Pitching staff 2027 will be another meh season.  If we have one.

[umterp23]

If this lineup is what we have for next year, middle of the pack finish in the division is wishful thinking. Now granted this piece is based on current roster and not trades/free agents etc. but my goodness is this a weak team. Nice write up though

[SE23]

With Lewis, Caratini and Clemens as starters, this has Long Season written all over it. Also agree that Buck can't be depended upon for full time duty in CF.

[PuckettPond]

History has told us Buxton will play less than 50% because his body is breaking down. If he was a horse he'd be sent to the glue factory. 🐴

[Andy MacPhail]

I love the OF eventhough there could be injuries, we have depth. Although we are still weak at 2B & catcher. IMO it won't be long until Houston will upgrade tremendously the INF. Although Lackey will highly impact the team, he's still a ways off & we'll suffer until he gets to that point. Pitching will be much better to start the season, So the team will be very interesting team to watch, with an eye on the near future. 

A promising young MLB-ready catcher with options has been on my wishlist for a long time, to be the 3rd catcher to help uphold the position in what could be a long season there. 

[MinnInPa]

nope to Lewis ..have to find a better alternative at 1B..Clemens OK at 2b..But 7,8 or 9 ..and big no to Caratini as starting C...

 

[Jeff K]

Hopefully, Buck is able to solve his hip problems this off-season.  I would move him to LF as his primary position and back-up CF.

[palmspringstwinsfan]

I’d move Buxton to 1B. Maybe there will be less wear and tear on his body. Lots of older players make the move (Mauer, etc) and the farm system is loaded with outfielders. Lewis has shown he’s not viable. I doubt they resign Bell and the team doesn’t seem to think Sabato will be a major leaguer. 

[ewen21]

Byron Buxton is a problem.  His spot in the lineup is always an unknown.  Who can figure what will happen with the guy?  He has a hot month or so and then he is has a month where he is as bad as he was good and then we start hearing about a variety of ailments.  I am so over it.  He is not as special as this place has made him out to be.   His lifetime OBP is .309, his lifetime average is .248, in 12 seasons with us he has had more than 100 hits twice.  He has a lifetime average of .192 with 2 ours and RISP with 119 Ks in 338 at bats.  He has a lifetime average of .213 close and late with 183 strikeouts in 478 at bats.  That flat out sucks.  He has had so many horrible at bats in high leverage situations over the years.   He makes managing the CF spot on this roster a headache.  The sooner we can move on from him the better.  He isn't a model player.  You cannot have your model player (and the Twins have tried to put him on that pedestal) be a guy who starts in slightly over 50% in the schedule a year.  It is a fools errand.  In the last five seasons he has played 60, 57, 94, 118 and not this year probably just 72 games in CF.  Does anyone expect this to get better in 2027?  The sooner we can move on from him the better.  He isn't a model player.  We cannot have your model player be a guy who averages slightly over 50 games a year.  End of story.

 

I like what I see from Walker Jenkins, but I am STILL waiting for us to someday....somehow........ draft, raise and produce a starting pitcher that puts fans in the stands.  It is a task that seems impossible for this organization execute and achieve.  WIll someone please name a starting pitcher we drafted, developed and saw on the mound at the major league level giving us something remotely resembling AS material?   The last time there was any actual juice behind a pitcher like that was Matt Garza in 2006.  In fact, we can go back over 30 years and he would be the only SP we actually drafted and raised in our system of any note.  That is beyond pathetic!

I disagree that with the return of Lopez, Festa and Abel that this starting staff will be "extremely deep".  They will need to show me something different.  Lopez is a talent but he is coming off Tommy John and has only begun to throw very recently.  What is his timetable for next year?  We do not even know.  Mick Abel has 59 innings of major league experience and has a 5.46 ERA over that time and he is coming off a season ending injury.  We don't even know what he is.   Ditto with David Festa.

 

This team has been a bore for a very long time.  I won't even prognosticate beyond the history these players have provided for us in the major leagues.  Unless this group magically transforms itself this team is a 76 win team.

[chinmusic]

Luke Keaschall looks like this generation's Charlie Hustle. Pity his defense is so offensive. Still, I don't really see him as a DH. We'll see how it plays out.

[ewen21]

1 hour ago, Whitey333 said:

Interesting lineup projections.  Ill take an unpopular stand by saying Buxton cannot be counted on to be in a starting lineup.  Hes proven that over the past 12 years.  Hoping that he will play most of the years and be productive like he was in 2025 and the first half of 2026 seems foolhardy at best.  Jenkins should be playing center field.  If it is mandatory to play Buxton put him in left or right to save wear and tear.  Since you cant ever count on him he is very disruptive to the roster.  Caratini isnt deserving of a spot either.  He has turned into a Vasquez type catcher.  A lot of good suggestions in your lineup.  Without an addition or two to it and the Pitching staff 2027 will be another meh season.  If we have one.

It is an unpopular and yet highly rational stand if you ask me.  We probably should put him out there opening day by default and give him his spot.  I think that at some point we need to let him know he isn't going to be resigned.  Maybe then he would waive the no trade clause and we can put up something at the trade deadline (that is if he isn't on the IL)

[mike8791]

Without any significant FA addition(s) this is a below average offense.  You need at least three 4 WAR batters  on a true contender and there is no one on this list that seems capable.  Maybe Jenkins in a year or two but who else?  Lee, Lewis, Clemens are all average at best and in an ideal world should be replaced.  Caratini is well below average and as you note, no real cleanup hitters.  And the absence of Bell, Jeffers and even Larnach will hurt, at least in 2027.

Agree that the rotation and pen look stronger on paper than the 2026 squad but that offense will hold them down.  Just too improbable that 3 rooks can mature enough to carry the lineup.  Unless the Pohlads go big on at least one all star FA, this is not a lineup that can be considered true playoff contenders.

[c24]

Buxton DH 75% of the time. And give Keaschall an entire offseason to focus just on the outfield. He's fast and a good athlete I can still see him succeeding out there even though he's looked pretty rough at times.

[Trov]

Jenkins will be CF and Buck will move to RF.  Buck is losing a step time for him to do what all great defending CF do and move to RF at end of career. I could see this lineup for most part from start of the year, but expect changes not too long into the season if Houston starts off season well.  I would see Clemons move to utility roll and Lee over to 2nd Culpepper to 3rd and Houston into SS. 

Overall, with how guys have done this year with our pitching coming back, hopefully, I have some hope for next year.

[ToddlerHarmon]

I'm okay with moving on from Lewis, but I hope we don't go back to the FA market for a 1B. It defies logic that none of Keaschall, Mendez, or Gonzales could be taught to play first base next year. Keaschall at least has the excuse that he had almost no time in the minors, but what sort of defensive instruction is happening down there?

[JD-TWINS]

27 minutes ago, ewen21 said:

Byron Buxton is a problem.  His spot in the lineup is always an unknown.  Who can figure what will happen with the guy?  He has a hot month or so and then he is has a month where he is as bad as he was good and then we start hearing about a variety of ailments.  I am so over it.  He is not as special as this place has made him out to be.   His lifetime OBP is .309, his lifetime average is .248, in 12 seasons with us he has had more than 100 hits twice.  He has a lifetime average of .192 with 2 ours and RISP with 119 Ks in 338 at bats.  He has a lifetime average of .213 close and late with 183 strikeouts in 478 at bats.  That flat out sucks.  He has had so many horrible at bats in high leverage situations over the years.   He makes managing the CF spot on this roster a headache.  The sooner we can move on from him the better.  He isn't a model player.  You cannot have your model player (and the Twins have tried to put him on that pedestal) be a guy who starts in slightly over 50% in the schedule a year.  It is a fools errand.  In the last five seasons he has played 60, 57, 94, 118 and not this year probably just 72 games in CF.  Does anyone expect this to get better in 2027?  The sooner we can move on from him the better.  He isn't a model player.  We cannot have your model player be a guy who averages slightly over 50 games a year.  End of story.

 

I like what I see from Walker Jenkins, but I am STILL waiting for us to someday....somehow........ draft, raise and produce a starting pitcher that puts fans in the stands.  It is a task that seems impossible for this organization execute and achieve.  WIll someone please name a starting pitcher we drafted, developed and saw on the mound at the major league level giving us something remotely resembling AS material?   The last time there was any actual juice behind a pitcher like that was Matt Garza in 2006.  In fact, we can go back over 30 years and he would be the only SP we actually drafted and raised in our system of any note.  That is beyond pathetic!

I disagree that with the return of Lopez, Festa and Abel that this starting staff will be "extremely deep".  They will need to show me something different.  Lopez is a talent but he is coming off Tommy John and has only begun to throw very recently.  What is his timetable for next year?  We do not even know.  Mick Abel has 59 innings of major league experience and has a 5.46 ERA over that time and he is coming off a season ending injury.  We don't even know what he is.   Ditto with David Festa.

 

This team has been a bore for a very long time.  I won't even prognosticate beyond the history these players have provided for us in the major leagues.  Unless this group magically transforms itself this team is a 76 win team.

Rotation options w/o changes: Bradley - Matthews - Ryan - Kremer - Prielipp - Rojas - Abel - Lopez - Ober ($50M)

PEN options w/o changes: Banda - Sands - Hoffman - Morris - Festa - Gomez - Funderburk - Anderson - Nance ……. I can’t take Adams seriously & Minter & Rogers are gone. ($28M)

18 guys currently at varying levels of health and effectiveness……….to me, absolutely should be able to get, at a minimum, 10 effective guys from this group to bring North in ‘27.

Rodriguez - Gonzalez - Jenkins - Keaschall - Culpepper are all minimum guys ………. Lee - Lewis - Clemens - Jackson ($13M total)

Buxton - Caratini cost $25M including Caratini’s ‘28 buyout.

This group costs $106M ……… Tom can’t go forward with the “competitive slant” without spending another $35 - $40M! …… right? Seriously question,  he has to add payroll and sign 3-4 other players at a minimum - right? Thoughts?

Praying for some spending floor to be enacted for ‘27 or starting in ‘28!

 

[Patzky]

1 hour ago, Andy MacPhail said:

I love the OF eventhough there could be injuries, we have depth. Although we are still weak at 2B & catcher. IMO it won't be long until Houston will upgrade tremendously the INF. Although Lackey will highly impact the team, he's still a ways off & we'll suffer until he gets to that point. Pitching will be much better to start the season, So the team will be very interesting team to watch, with an eye on the near future. 

A promising young MLB-ready catcher with options has been on my wishlist for a long time, to be the 3rd catcher to help uphold the position in what could be a long season there. 

I hope Mendez comes into play at some point, and Roden isn't going anywhere either. If we know for sure that Buck won't be available at the beginning of the year, I'd rather see the monies put toward RP, C, 1B. Mendez, Roden, Rosario, Clemens and Keaschall could fill in OF spots. Is Jackson your backup C? Is it worth throwing more money at Bell? Or maybe Ross or Sabato is 1B-able if Royce is traded.or.doesmt work out?

 

I'm actually very excited to see if Brandon Winokur can be worked into the conversation some time next season.

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Whitey333 said:

IIll take an unpopular stand by saying Buxton cannot be counted on to be in a starting lineup.  

On a site that has complained about his injuries non stop for years and demands he should be traded the unpopular modifier is a pretty absurd comment . Considering Rodriguez’s injury history, as well as Buxton’s the article does need to go into who are the backups to the backups. Buxton is untradeable because of his contract and past statements. Rodrigues would be a sell low candidate. They will be part of the team unless Rodriguez turns into Outman. The backups are equally important in any discussion 

[LewFordLives]

Jeffers has to be their number one priority this offseason. The lineup isn't good enough to compensate for Caratini's bat, and Lackey is just hope way out on the horizon, and may never show up.

[old nurse]

Jeffers is a free agent He has not been a full time catcher in his career.  He is not likely to get a break open the vault contract. It is quite possible he will be resigned to a contract. 

[ewen21]

59 minutes ago, c24 said:

Buxton DH 75% of the time. And give Keaschall an entire offseason to focus just on the outfield. He's fast and a good athlete I can still see him succeeding out there even though he's looked pretty rough at times.

75% of 50% of 162 which equates to 20 games in CF and 60 games DHing.  This says to me we need a CF.  At some point next season, no matter what he is doing, the Twins really should tell Buxton he will not be resigned.  Perhaps then he will waive his no trade and we can deal him at the deadline for a prospect.  It really is time to move forward and get away from this lunacy.  We need players who will play.

[Nashvilletwin]

How about this lineup instead for a strike shortened season or after the all star break (whichever the case may be):

1. Keaschall - LF/DH

2. Culpepper - 2B

3. Buxton - DH/LF

4. Jeffers - C

5. Jenkins - CF

6. ERod - RF

7. Lee - 3B

8. Lewis - 1B 

9. Houston - SS

Clemens, Martin, Catatini plus one (Gonzalez, Roden, Winokur) make up the bench.

Note that given the low overall cost of this lineup, we re-resign Jeffers to a 3/4 yr $10-15MM/year deal.  He and Lackey become our starting C’s as early as ‘28 and Jeffers can DH more once Buxton moves on after that season.

This is how you build a lineup to actually compete for a World Series as early as ‘28 and for several more years.

 

 

[JD-TWINS]

4 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

Jeffers has to be their number one priority this offseason. The lineup isn't good enough to compensate for Caratini's bat, and Lackey is just hope way out on the horizon, and may never show up.

Diaw good enough to Catch at MLB level in ‘27?

Spend on Jeffers (QO) - Minter - Larnach? ………. that’s $40M

They have plenty of inexpensive youth………  Rodriguez - Gonzalez - Keaschall - Culpepper - Jenkins ……..Lee - Lewis - Clemens, all 3 total $11M? ………..8 guys for $16M!

Not sure if they still owe Houston another $10M for Correa?

[nicksaviking]

The more I think about the CBA and the uncertainty it will bring, the more I think the players who get QOs are more likely to accept this year. I don't think players will WANT to go into the abyss without a contract. So I think there's a decent chance Jeffers' accepts his QO, as accepting will basically re-set the catcher salary market anyway.

[thelanges5]

8 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Diaw good enough to Catch at MLB level in ‘27?

Spend on Jeffers (QO) - Minter - Larnach? ………. that’s $40M

They have plenty of inexpensive youth………  Rodriguez - Gonzalez - Keaschall - Culpepper - Jenkins ……..Lee - Lewis - Clemens, all 3 total $11M? ………..8 guys for $16M!

Not sure if they still owe Houston another $10M for Correa?

2 more years for C4

[terrydactyls]

1 hour ago, ewen21 said:

Byron Buxton is a problem.  His spot in the lineup is always an unknown.  Who can figure what will happen with the guy?  He has a hot month or so and then he is has a month where he is as bad as he was good and then we start hearing about a variety of ailments.  I am so over it.  He is not as special as this place has made him out to be.   His lifetime OBP is .309, his lifetime average is .248, in 12 seasons with us he has had more than 100 hits twice.  He has a lifetime average of .192 with 2 ours and RISP with 119 Ks in 338 at bats.  He has a lifetime average of .213 close and late with 183 strikeouts in 478 at bats.  That flat out sucks.  He has had so many horrible at bats in high leverage situations over the years.   He makes managing the CF spot on this roster a headache.  The sooner we can move on from him the better.  He isn't a model player.  You cannot have your model player (and the Twins have tried to put him on that pedestal) be a guy who starts in slightly over 50% in the schedule a year.  It is a fools errand.  In the last five seasons he has played 60, 57, 94, 118 and not this year probably just 72 games in CF.  Does anyone expect this to get better in 2027?  The sooner we can move on from him the better.  He isn't a model player.  We cannot have your model player be a guy who averages slightly over 50 games a year.  End of story.

End of what story?  This paragraph is extremely unclear (you mention three different "lifetime averages"). 

"His lifetime OBP is .309, his lifetime average is .248, in 12 seasons with us he has had more than 100 hits twice.  He has a lifetime average of .192 with 2 ours and RISP with 119 Ks in 338 at bats.  He has a lifetime average of .213 close and late with 183 strikeouts in 478 at bats.  That flat out sucks."

What is "2 ours"?  What is "close and late"?

And the rest is a personal rant about Buxton.  I won't make any comments about the Buxton "problem" because I am not knowledgeable with regard to what discussions (if any) have taken place between Buxton and the Twins hierarchy.

[Road trip]

15 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Diaw good enough to Catch at MLB level in ‘27?

 

I don't think there is a chance in '27.  His long term home might be in the outfield, not behind the plate.  His caught stealing percentages (less than 10%) would make him unplayable as a catcher in today's game.  He might improve, but it won't be overnight.

[terrydactyls]

19 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Note that given the low overall cost of this lineup, we re-resign Jeffers to a 4 yr $80MM deal.  He and Lackey become our starting C’s as early as ‘28 and Jeffers can DH more once Buxton moves on after that season.

I'm not sure Buxton will "move on".  My belief is that the front office and Buxton will mutually agree on a year-by-year extension for Buxton until HE decides to retire.