Twins’ Biggest Areas of Need Heading Into 2026-2027 Offseason

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Though one final series remains, the Twins' season is effectively over. They enter the last three games 75-84, assured of a losing record but already better than they were in 2025. Now feels like a safe moment to look beyond a deflating finish to 2026 and toward 2027. Believe it or not, this roster is not perfect. There are several areas of need the Twins will have to address this offseason if they want to turn themselves into a playoff team next season. Which are the biggest, though?

There are multiple positions you could make an argument for, but if I had to pick one, I’d say the biggest need is the bullpen. Coming into the season, it was glaringly obvious that the bullpen was going to be the weakest part of the Twins’ roster. Even after the team made some additions at the trade deadline, it wasn’t exactly a strength. That’s especially concerning heading into the offseason. A.J. Minter and Taylor Rogers are both free agents after this season, which could leave the Twins with an even bigger need for good left-handed relief help. While replacing those two would certainly be important, let’s be real here: this is a bullpen that would have needed improving even if we knew everyone was going to be back.

The Twins failed to adequately address the bullpen coming into 2026; they can’t afford to make the same mistake again. If they want to compete for a playoff spot next season, adding legitimate major-league arms to the bullpen should be one of the first things on their offseason checklist.

After the bullpen, the next-biggest need is catcher. That comes with an asterisk, because if Ryan Jeffers is back next season, the position will effectively be solved. That almost certainly will not happen, though, so the Twins need to start thinking about what comes next behind the plate. Right now, Victor Caratini is the only big-league catcher in the organization, and he didn't look like a viable regular this season. Ideally, he'd have a smaller role in 2027, not a larger one.

Unfortunately, the free-agent market doesn’t offer an obvious solution. The best catcher available this winter will be Jeffers, and it’s not particularly close. If he does leave Minnesota, the Twins probably aren’t going to find a strong replacement in free agency. A trade could be the better way to address the position. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Catchers with legitimate major-league ability aren’t easy to find, and the Twins would have to give up something of value to acquire one. But until one of the organization’s catching prospects is ready to take over, they need to find an upgrade over Caratini.

Finally, the team should be hunting for a first baseman. There are a few different ways they could approach this position, but none of them are ideal. Royce Lewis doesn't hit enough for that spot. Josh Bell is an impending free agent whom the team didn't trust to man the position, anyway. The Twins could move Kody Clemens or Luke Keaschall over there, but that would put real pressure on Clemens's bat and nullify his valuable versatility, and it would waste what few tools Keaschall has working for him on defense.

Lewis might remain entrenched. With a full offseason to get acclimated to first base, he might take a significant step forward defensively, where he's already lookws like a plus receiver of throws and just needs to sand off some rough edges. The bigger question is whether he'll also hit enough next year to justify full-time play at any spot, let alone an offense-first one.

Adding some legitimate help at first base would go a long way toward improving the Twins’ lineup. More importantly, it would allow Minnesota to keep players Clemens and Keaschall in more valuable defensive roles, instead of asking them to fill a position simply because there’s a hole there. If they're proactive about it, they can even leverage the arrival of a better player at that spot by non-tendering or trading Lewis, gaining roster and payroll flexibility.

The Twins have plenty of work to do this offseason, but these three areas stand out. None of these problems are going to be particularly easy to solve. But after watching the weaknesses of this roster become increasingly obvious throughout 2026, the Twins can’t afford to simply hope they fix themselves in 2027.

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[NYCTK]

Biggest need is for the Pohlads to collectively jump off a cliff...metaphorically of course. 

[DJL44]

I would much rather read articles about the MLB playoffs than spend October on endless roster speculation. Since it’s Twins Daily, you could even frame it as a look at how former Twins are performing in the playoffs. Use the daily minor league report as a template.

I know I won’t see every game due to time and streaming restrictions, but I would like to discuss them with this group of people. 

[MikeNC]

The Twins have made a remarkable recovery this year, starting with the hiring of Shelty.  In a season of "figuring it out" it is surprising they won as many as they did, and they have put in place a bunch of young players with real upside.  They have 10 starting pitching options, and those that miss out will drop into the badly in need bullpen. (I'm looking at you Ober-wan).  Finally we have 3  outfielders with range, that's at least -1 in ERA for the pitchers.  And good to + defensive options at 3B, SS, 2B.  Offseason need to solve for Catcher, DH, and 1B, and replace/resign Minter.  The Twins have a real chance of building a division contender.  (Sigh . . If only the 2025 destruction of the bullpen had not been so thorough . . .)

[Jeff K]

I think 1st base needs to be a focus.  Joyce Lewis should be an above average fielder but rediscovering consistent hitting is a long shot.  I hope the twins pursue a trade or a quality free agent.  They need an experienced first baseman.

[rv78]

Believe it or not, this roster is not perfect.

I laughed myself right out of my chair. randball stu would be proud.

 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Wait til next year. Wait til next year. Wait til next year. Wait til next year....................

[offensive_loons_fan]

The article on regrading the trade deadline moves had a lot of comments that amounted to "hey, increasing an already low spend by less than $10 million is not that impressive. They need to spend more." I think that's true in a very broad sense, but in practice the market kind of was what it was at the deadline. I think they made a decent, measured spend for what they could get. It's not enough to just "make the number go up."

I feel the same about this offseason. Obviously the team needs to spend more, but the free agent market is going to suck and we do not have a lot of good trade capital outside of our now-emerging prospects. I would like to see us keep those prospects and see who they can become. But the downside of that is that we may kind of have to hold still on the roster building rather than spending on guys who are "meh, sure."

That would mean 2027 becomes another maybe lousy year as the prospects grow their wings, and we see the FA market evolve. This site's audience probably will not love that. But I think it's the right long-term play.

[Woof Bronzer]

1 hour ago, MikeNC said:

The Twins have made a remarkable recovery this year, starting with the hiring of Shelty.  In a season of "figuring it out" it is surprising they won as many as they did, and they have put in place a bunch of young players with real upside.  They have 10 starting pitching options, and those that miss out will drop into the badly in need bullpen. (I'm looking at you Ober-wan).  Finally we have 3  outfielders with range, that's at least -1 in ERA for the pitchers.  And good to + defensive options at 3B, SS, 2B.  Offseason need to solve for Catcher, DH, and 1B, and replace/resign Minter.  The Twins have a real chance of building a division contender.  (Sigh . . If only the 2025 destruction of the bullpen had not been so thorough . . .)

The Twins were worse this year after the deadline than last year, and will end up with something like 4-5 more wins than last year.  Only 3 more years of "remarkable recovery" like this and they'll get to .500!  And then someday, the playoffs....

The organization's stated goal this year was not "figuring it out" but competing, and playing meaningful games in September.  Tom Pohlad specifically said the year should be judged on wins and losses.  

[Woof Bronzer]

21 minutes ago, offensive_loons_fan said:

That would mean 2027 becomes another maybe lousy year as the prospects grow their wings, and we see the FA market evolve. This site's audience probably will not love that. But I think it's the right long-term play.

With all the labor uncertainty it's probably fine for 27 to be a development year.  (26 should have been as well, but that ship has sailed.) Then it's playoffs or bust in 28, and we're winning the dang Series in 29.  

[Woof Bronzer]

43 minutes ago, rv78 said:

Believe it or not, this roster is not perfect.

I laughed myself right out of my chair. randball stu would be proud.

 

I for one believe it!

[GopherTide]

While I would like next year's catcher to be an offensive threat as well as a plus defender, I think it is far more important he is a good receiver and works well with the pitchers.  For this team to be good in the near future they will need to rely on several young pitchers to continue to grow and improve.  Making the fairly large assumption that they solve the 1B issue and find a legitimate bat to fill that position, I can live with the catcher hitting 9th as long as he can help the pitching staff mature.  Is Crash Davis available?

[Twins GFP]

13 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

The Twins were worse this year after the deadline than last year, and will end up with something like 4-5 more wins than last year.  Only 3 more years of "remarkable recovery" like this and they'll get to .500!  And then someday, the playoffs....

The organization's stated goal this year was not "figuring it out" but competing, and playing meaningful games in September.  Tom Pohlad specifically said the year should be judged on wins and losses.  

Did anybody here really take Tom Pohlad at his word?

Too bad you can't fire owners.

[Parfigliano]

45 minutes ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Wait til next year. Wait til next year. Wait til next year. Wait til next year....................

Dont really have a choice at this point.

[mluebker]

Royce Lewis’s problem at first is he can’t hit or field. Keaschall solves half that problem if they move him there, maybe more if his much-touted athleticism allows him to improve his defensive skills as many are hoping. They already have a solid second baseman and outfielders standing in line to nail down the three starting slots and the fourth out there. Unfortunately, Buxton probably shouldn’t be among them. If they want him healthy and his bat in the lineup as often as possible, he’s the DH. I think they should do everything they can to keep Jeffers, but I doubt that’s going to happen, especially with a likely lockout and truncated season in 2027, and no idea what the new CBA actually will look like. If they spend money, do it with an eye on 2028 and the hope that there’s both a salary cap and floor in place by then so they can make the most of what that buys them.

[NYCTK]

1 hour ago, MikeNC said:

The Twins have made a remarkable recovery this year,

Last season the Twins had the 26th best run differential with an expected win loss of 71-91. This season the Twins currently have the 24th best run differential with an expected win loss of 73-86. 

Optimism is for the spring, so this fall let's be honest about how bad this team actually was. 

[PuckettPond]

Common sense, as it is needed with the Twins, their fans & the general public.

[PuckettPond]

Tom Pohlad is not the problem he is the solution. If not he than who? What has happened to Oakland & their sport teams can happen here.

[laloesch]

Can we please move on from trying to desperately plug Royce Lewis into every position need the Twins have to justify his continued prescence on the major league roster?  He can't hit, he's an average fielder, is hard to coach, etc.  Basically, for a #1 pick.....a total bust. 

He's not a 1st baseman and he doesn't hit like one either.  He gets mired in massive, prolonged slumps that last 1/2 the season, etc.  Time to move on from Royce, he's had MORE than enough major league time to figure this out.

[S Bart]

2 hours ago, MikeNC said:

The Twins have made a remarkable recovery this year, starting with the hiring of Shelty.  In a season of "figuring it out" it is surprising they won as many as they did, and they have put in place a bunch of young players with real upside.  They have 10 starting pitching options, and those that miss out will drop into the badly in need bullpen. (I'm looking at you Ober-wan).  Finally we have 3  outfielders with range, that's at least -1 in ERA for the pitchers.  And good to + defensive options at 3B, SS, 2B.  Offseason need to solve for Catcher, DH, and 1B, and replace/resign Minter.  The Twins have a real chance of building a division contender.  (Sigh . . If only the 2025 destruction of the bullpen had not been so thorough . . .)

I only wish that Shelty could "figure out" how to put together a game line-up card. A friend of mine from Pittsburgh told me that Pirates' fan liked him, but the change of managing this year is a big reason they have a winning record.

[TopGunn#22]

You've hit the 3 biggest areas of need, but I would differ with the order of importance.

#1  Catcher.  Caratini will be back.  Jeffers won't.  Although by making him a QO we should at least get draft compensation.  The Twins need to approach Caratini as their back-up Catcher, but finding a full time starter won't be easy.   The Twins are in a tough spot here.  Nobody they acquire will stand in the way of Vahn Lackey, who might make it up sometime in 2028, maybe opening day 2029.  But they need a guy who could start ahead of Caratini.  Here are some trade possibilities:

Pirates: Endy Rodriquez-26 years old or Henry Davis-29.  Rodriquez has talent, but can't stay healthy,  Davis was a one time top prospect, but is 29 and hasn't fulfilled the promise he once held.  The starter is Rafael Flores, so one of the 2 could be available.

White Sox:  Teel is the starter.  They also have Jake Rogers and Joey Bart.  That leaves the once promising 23 year old Edgar Quero who also just can't seem to stay healthy.  He's currently #4 on the depth chart.  He's young, but might be the best defensive catcher that could be had.

Brewers:  William Contreras is the starter.  33 year old Gary Sanchez and 26 year old former      Guardian-Indian Bo Naylor are the potential targets.  

Padres:  Luis Campusano is the starter but young phenom Ethan Salas will be their starter next year.  #3 Catcher is former KC Royal Freddy Fermin.  Campusano and Fermin are potential targets.

Nationals:  Keibert Ruiz is the starter.  He's backed up by 22 year old Harry Ford.  The potential target is 28 year old Drew Millas.

Giants:  The Giants #3 Catcher is former Rule 5 guy Daniel Susac who the Twins could have picked.  He's 25 years old and would be a good pickup.

Guys like Edgar Quero and Endy Rodriguez are interesting, but their youth could potentially block Vahn Lackey's future backup, and we have a LOT of minor league talent to consider on that timeline.  In addition to Lackey the Twins have Tait, Diaw, Jimenez, Olivar and Tinny.  Most every MLB team would be interested in one of these young catchers.  What type of pitching prospect could one of them return if we decided to trade one"

Since the Twins are only looking for a 2027 starter if we expect Lackey to progress quickly and Tait is also a consideration, a reunion with Gary Sanchez might make sense. The 25 year old Daniel Susac or the 28 year old Drew Millas probably fit the timeline better.  There ARE opportunities to make a deal to bring in a catcher that is better than Caratini.

The next priority is 1B. Is there a young 1B buried in someone's system who is blocked by a bona fide major league star?  Xavier Isaac from Tampa Bay, Keaton Anthony in the Phillies organization and James Tibbs from the Dodgers could all make sense.  Tibbs is 23 and stuck behind Freddie Freeman.  The Dodgers also have Dalton Rushing C/1B/OF making Tibbs a strong candidate.

Tibbs (bats L) hit .287 with 30 HR, 107 RBI and a .941 OPS at AAA Oklahoma City this year.  Isaac (bats L) has elite power and is buried behind Jonathon Arranda, Yandy Diaz and even C/1B Liam Hicks.  Keaton Anthony (bats R) is 25 years old and has hit at every level after being undrafted out of Iowa in 2023.  He's buried behind Bryce Harper.  

I have no idea what it would take to trade for one of these guys but if the Twins are willing to move on from Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, maybe one of our young catchers, we should be able to target one of these guys and make a deal.  We could spend money and sign Jake Bauers as well although I think he will have a lot of interest this winter.  All 3 of the young, minor league 1B could flop, but they are worth going after since we have no one who is an obvious minor league option for 2027.

I would rank the BP last of the 3 main areas because I think we have the nucleus of a decent BP and we are starting from a spot FAR AHEAD of where we began this year.  Hoffman is a potential Closer or 8th inning guy.  Gomez did well until he ran out of gas.  He's still a decent 7th inning arm.  Some young guys showed some promise and if Banda is under contract for 2027 he is a bounce back candidate.  I think Zebby should be in the rotation for 2027 but if he loses his spot in a spring training competition put him in the BP to start the year.  Same with Abel.  David Festa and Matt Canterino are pipe dreams but I'm not ready to give up on them.  Marco Raya could emerge.  But I would spend some money on a bona fide Closer.  Maybe a Ryan Helsley.  Having an arm like that pushes talented arms like Hoffman and Gomez down a notch and deepens the BP.

There is some reason for optimism for 2027.  There is young talent starting to matriculate to the big league roster.  The team is getting younger and more athletic.  I say keep the pipeline open and look to bring more on board while moving on from some familiar faces.  Even if we embrace a complete rebuild, the bar is low enough in the A.L. Central that we might just surprise like this year's White Sox.  

 

[Sam Caulder]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I would much rather read articles about the MLB playoffs than spend October on endless roster speculation. Since it’s Twins Daily, you could even frame it as a look at how former Twins are performing in the playoffs. Use the daily minor league report as a template.

I know I won’t see every game due to time and streaming restrictions, but I would like to discuss them with this group of people. 

This is a good idea; I think I might do something on this now. Thank you

[Patzky]

23 minutes ago, laloesch said:

Can we please move on from trying to desperately plug Royce Lewis into every position need the Twins have to justify his continued prescence on the major league roster?  He can't hit, he's an average fielder, is hard to coach, etc.  Basically, for a #1 pick.....a total bust. 

He's not a 1st baseman and he doesn't hit like one either.  He gets mired in massive, prolonged slumps that last 1/2 the season, etc.  Time to move on from Royce, he's had MORE than enough major league time to figure this out.

So, we need a first baseman's but there aren't any available already on the roster except Royce, so Royce it'll be. Therefore we need a DH but the heat bat easily available is.. Josh Bell. And the best catcher available will be.. Ryan Jeffers?

How did we not win it all??

[1985Fan]

2027 is too early to start filling holes on the roster. Instead, they need to spend next year letting the young guys develop, evaluating the pitchers they do have, and getting more prospects up to the big leagues. Let the young guys play a full season to determine what their strengths and weaknesses are. 
There are plenty of other young guys that are at AAA that could make debuts next year. Mendez, GG, Olivar, Raya, and even Gallagher could be promoted to see what they have to offer. There are several guys at AA that should be AAA next season, could be ready to step up as well. 
They started the youth movement this year, let’s keep it going. Once they know who is part of their core, then start making additions and subtractions to roster, possibly as early as the 2027 trade deadline. 

[old nurse]

The biggest need for this club may be to figure out how to move on from the 25 years old and older players who haven’t produced in a couple of years. Unfortunately the upcoming free agent class looks like a pile of bandaids outside of a few players. They can find a few relievers

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

If I could run the offseason, this is how the team would look opening day 2027.

 

ERod LF - Buxton CF - Jenkins RF (Keaschall 4th - Roden 5th) 

 

DH would be Keaschall. Buck would take days off from the field and DH some days. Keaschall would play LF those days with one of ERod or Jenkins filling in CF. 

 

Lee 3B - Culpepper SS - Clemens 2B - Contreras 1B (Kriedler UTL - Ross UTL) - Make a trade for Willson Contreras. Backup option sign Brandon Lowe for 1B.

 

Jeffers & Caratini behind the plate. I would've preferred Jackson over Caratini, but it seems he was DFA'd today, so probably wont be around next season. Give Jeffers the QO. If he doesn't accept, just try to sign him. I'd imagine 4 years/ $70-$75M should get it done. If we cant sign Jeffers, Tyler Stephenson is my backup. Caratini can not be the starter. If Alex Jackson stays with the club, keep him as backup C and trade Caratini. 

 

Lineup: 1. Keaschall 2. Jenkins 3. Buxton 4. Contreras 5. Jeffers 6. Clemens 7. Culpepper 8. ERod 9. Lee

 

Bullpen:

 

Sign David Bednar to be our Closer. Hoffman gets the 8th inning. Gomez & Morris get the 7th inning. Funderburk, Nanace, Banda, & Rojas round out the BP. Raisel Iglesias Is my backup to sign as Closer. 

 

Rotation:

 

Sign Michael King to lead our rotation. Followed by Taj, Ryan, Prielipp, and hopefully a healthy and effective Pablo. Zebby and others could be AAA depth or be moved to the pen if its deemed best. Sonny Gray is the other Starter I would consider signing. 

 

This setup also leaves many current players off the team. These guys would be traded or Non Tender / DFA'd: Royce Lewis - Trevor Larnach - Bailey Ober - Austin Martin - Dean Kremer. This still leaves an abundance of "ready" players at AAA, especially starting pitchers. The beauty of this blueprint is none of it is really fantasy. Every one of these moves are realistic.