A Way-Too-Early Minnesota Twins 2027 Opening Roster Projection

[HarmonK03]

9 hours ago, soyouresayingtheresachance said:

Lee 3B - Culpepper SS - Clemens 2B - Yandy Diaz 1B (Kriedler UTL - Ross UTL) - Make a trade with TB for Yandy Diaz. If not Diaz, my backup plan would be to trade for Willson Contreras. Both of those guys could hit Cleanup for us, as well. 

Diaz played no games in the field this year and 37 last year, has he turned into a DH only at this point in his career.  His bat would be an upgrade but is it enough to be a DH only.

[mikelink45]

The season is not completely done (I know it feels like it) so articles like this should be saved for the very long off-season.  I do not project trades.  So I look at what we have and I see the Keashall, Buxton, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Roden OF/DH mix - I cut Martin and Larnach.

Lee, Culpepper, Clemens and Gonzales start in the IF for me with Ross and Kriedler UT.  Yes I cut Lewis.

I have no idea what kind of pitcher Lopez will be after such a long lay-off and I project a trade of Ryen but no idea what we get back.  He probably will be in the initial rotation of Lopez, Ryan, Prielipp, Kremer, Mathews.  Abel needs to prove himself but would be number six.  

BP is missing Ober - I think he works out there.  Hoffman becomes closer.  Please no more Rogers. Try Raya and other young arms!

[JD-TWINS]

14 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

What's going out for Xavier Edwards? That's going to be a LOT. I like the idea though.

I also would have Prielipp in the rotation on opening day, certainly ahead of Kremer. I hope Abel can be right though.

My assumption is there is the pull to keep Kremer as a depth option & am assuming he’s out of options. ……….go through a bargain arbitration for him ……… if he has a decent Spring he’ll be in the rotation early …….. certainly a probable trade piece as the season moves forward.

[bean5302]

I honestly see no point to this. When the first guy on the list is a 95% or better to not do what you're proposing, it makes it even less valuable.

But, sure, if you're Derek Falvey, this is a pretty reasonable roster.

[Steve Lein]

13 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

60% of Zebby's starts are quality starts, and this entire board wants to move him to the bullpen.....

It was kind of a constant debate between Zebby and Morris on which should be a starter and which should go to the bullpen...

I never understood why most put Zebby in the bullpen. Morris always looked more like the bullpen move to me, and I made that call well before he ever made the majors. (shrugs) 

Edit: I am also not against Zebby in the bullpen, but he was always the more likely SP option to my eyes between the two.

Edited 21 hours ago by Steve Lein

[Trov]

I am fine with the QO of Jeffers, and he may want to take it because with not knowing how the CBA will be changed and if a cap is instituted as owners want, how will that work with current contracts.  However, the reverse is also true with a floor imposed, where will it fall and how much will teams have to spend and could he get a big winfall by teams having to spend to get to the floor. Jeffers is in very interesting situation, because of the CBA.  Yankees have wanted him, but how much will they give him?  He is 30 next year, and catchers, outside of HOF level guys, really fall off after 30.  You highlighted Realmuto who was league average about ages 31 thru 33, dropped off slightly 34, but fell off 35 and still getting paid 3 more seasons.  Jeffers may decline a QO hoping for long term deal, but there is risk there, and doubt he gets more than 4 years.  He is not going to have a ton of suiters bidding.

As to the trade for Edwards, what are we giving up? 

[miller761]

Please no DH only upgrades. 

 

[LambchoP]

I think we need to trade Lewis and Wallner for whatever we can get. Sign a power hitting first baseman. Would love Yandy Diaz. Sign a lefty SP. Need a closer and one more high end relief pitcher. This might get us a central title in '27.

[jmlease1]

I'd make Jeffers the QO. I'd even try to sign him to a 3 year deal (I think he can hit well enough to transition to 1B/DH if and when Lackey is ready, so I'm not worried about 2028 and beyond.), but I think someone like the Yankees is going to give him 5 for $100M and I highly doubt the Twins will compete at that level.

I'm ready to move on from Bell, Lewis, Larnach, and Martin. Bell doesn't produce enough for his salary and roster spot, Lewis has run out of chances, and while Larnach is good enough hitter against RHP, he's unplayable against LHP and adds nothing on defense or the bases and we shouldn't be paying him another raise for that level of production and his roster spot. Martin is more marginal; the cost is fine and as a platoon bat facing LHP he's probably fine since he should be a good defender in the corners and give you potential on the bases...but the ceiling is too limited and the roster spot too valuable.

I'd be much happier with Clemens in a bench role than a starter, but I think we're seeing him back next season at 2B.

Can we sign a real 1B next season? France makes a ton of sense, but a) who knows whether this was a fluke season or not, and b) what's his price range now? Is someone going to give him a big number for 4-5 years? But that's the level of player I want them pushing in on at 1B...assuming France is for real. (I'm less enthusiastic about Arraez, who has been poor since going to Philly and making the early season run in SF look flukier) There's not a ton of options that look to be on the market, and several are the same guys that were available last season (and proving how dumb I can be, ones I wanted over Bell were utter disasters this season in Andujar & Mountcastle).

We might be better off turning everything over to the kids for reinforcements in the lineup and spending money on pitching. Pay Minter (there's a lot of FA LH RP available), sign a RHP (Bryan Abreu?) or 2 and go from there.

[Mike Sixel]

This is a terrible FA class ..... If there is a huge floor going forward, FA classes will get worse, as teams lock up young guys to reach the floor, IMO. 

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

5 hours ago, HarmonK03 said:

Diaz played no games in the field this year and 37 last year, has he turned into a DH only at this point in his career.  His bat would be an upgrade but is it enough to be a DH only.

Fair point. Have to switch is to Willson Contreras then. 

[TJSweens]

I don't see any rational argument for Abel and Kremer in the rotation ahead of Prielipp and Matthews. Able has hardly pitched and Kremer at 31 really isn't worth keeping. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

On 9/21/2026 at 6:50 PM, Czelgert said:

I like Ty France at 1B in the alternative and the Twins could use one more SP to add some depth.  I’d like to think Mick Abel will contribute next but I also wanted to think that SWR was going to help this year.  The team needs some redundancies if it doesn’t want to run out of gas in the second half year after year.  May I suggest Trevor Rogers as a LHP that the Twins could use for balance to many righties they roll out.  Yes, I know these moves will run payroll up to the 140M-150M area.  Gasp!

No to Trevor Rogers.

[jmlease1]

19 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

This is a terrible FA class ..... If there is a huge floor going forward, FA classes will get worse, as teams lock up young guys to reach the floor, IMO. 

It's good for LH relievers? But yeah...not a lot else.