Old Friends the Minnesota Twins Could Bring Back in 2027

[Ray Stuedemann]

Image courtesy of William Liang-Imagn Images

Every offseason brings change, but sometimes, the best way to fix a team’s weaknesses is by looking back. As the Twins head into the 2027 offseason, a few familiar faces could make sense, as the team looks to fill holes from the 2026 roster. Of course, nostalgia alone isn’t enough. The numbers must back it up, whether that means a former Twin still has the bat, arm, or underlying metrics to contribute. Here are a few “old friends” who are 2027 free agents, and whom the Twins could therefore consider bringing back.

Ty France – 1B, San Diego Padres

After a disappointing 2025 campaign offensively, he still won a Gold Glove for his first base play for the Twins and Blue Jays. The offseason didn’t present a ton of opportunity for France, as he signed a minor-league deal with the team that initially drafted him. The 32-year-old has had a resurgence this year, slashing .295/.363/.502 in 500 plate appearances while clobbering 21 home runs, a career high. France could be the primary first baseman for the Twins in 2027, as well as another right-handed bat to plug into the middle of their lineup. While France will have suitors this offseason, the Twins should at least put in an offer, given the revolving door they had at first base in 2026 and how popular France was in the clubhouse during his brief stint with the team.

Luis Arraez – 2B, Philadelphia Phillies

This season was a tale of two teams for Arraez, as his first half with the Giants led to a trade to the contending Phillies. He slashed .324/.360/.440 in 464 plate appearances for San Francisco, compared to .278/.309/.369 in 191 plate appearances for Philadelphia. The main development for Arraez this season was his defense. The 29-year-old spoke out this offseason about wanting to return to second base, and he backed it up, posting the highest Outs Above Average of his career (12). 

It was a nice return to form for Arraez offensively, given his 101 OPS+ with the Padres the season before, a career-low mark. He could be an option for the Twins to add at second base. Is it the most realistic option? Certainly not, given the Twins' infield depth, plethora of left-handed bats, and young players penciled into roles for 2027 already. Still, with the uncertainty surrounding Royce Lewis’s place on the Twins, an infielder could (and should) be added, so why not Arraez?

Isiah Kiner-Falefa – UTIL, Boston Red Sox

This one is stretching a bit, as Kiner-Falefa was a Twin for not even two days (in the offseason, at that) before being traded to the Yankees. He’s bounced around since then, spending time with the Blue Jays, Pirates, and now the Red Sox. His offensive ability isn’t great, as he slashed .242/.322/.311 in 183 plate appearances in Boston this year. Kiner-Falefa’s career OPS+ is 81, so he wouldn’t be brought in to provide meaningful at-bats at the top of the order.

The 31-year-old could still provide value as a defense-first utility man off the bench, though. He appeared at all four infield spots, though he spent most of his time at second base. The Twins could have a player such as Ryan Kreidler or Ben Ross fill the utility infield role, but Kiner-Falefa is still a plus defender, posting 8 OAA in 2026, and he could contribute as a fill-in player for Culpepper at short and whoever's playing second base.

Brusdar Graterol – RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Injuries have been the roadblock of late for Graterol, who went to the Dodgers in the Kenta Maeda trade back in 2020. After posting a 1.4-fWAR season in 2023, the 28-year-old has only thrown 7 1/3 big-league innings since 2024, missing all of the last two seasons and undergoing back surgery in June. Still, when he is healthy, Graterol is effective. His career ERA is 2.78 (3.20 FIP), with a WHIP of 1.04. Graterol should not be relied on to provide any kind of consistency for a team in 2027, but if the Twins were to sign him to a minor-league deal, he would be a low-risk, high-upside signing that teams with budgets such as the Twins are always searching for. Other relievers (such as David Bednar or Bryan Abreu) would be surer things, but if Graterol is healthy and performing as he has before, he could be a very productive player.

Steven Okert – LHP, Houston Astros

Okert has become a completely different pitcher since he departed Minnesota after the 2024 season. The 35-year-old signed with the Astros and hasn’t looked back, posting a 2.58 ERA (2.99 FIP) in 139 1/3 innings in Houston over the two seasons he's pitched there. His slider has been his best pitch—almost the only one, but good enough to allow him to thrive without much of a complement. He isn’t just a platoon pitcher, either. His OPS allowed to right-handed batters is only slightly higher (.591) than his OPS allowed to lefties (.545).

There may be some cause for concern given his home/road splits (0.97 ERA at home, 3.52 on the road), but the need for a left-handed arm is there for the Twins. Taylor Rogers and A.J. Minter are both headed out the door. Okert would be another trusted veteran arm for Derek Shelton and the new pitching coach (whoever that may be) to utilize in the bullpen, alongside Jeff Hoffman, Andrew Morris, Yoendrys Gómez, and others.

Beyond the five above, there are a few other names who are possibilities but might not make sense. The Twins may have a need at catcher. Mitch Garver and Christian Vázquez could be cheap, low-risk options, although it's hard to imagine either being excited about a reunion—or fans being happy about one, either. Gary Sánchez could be a major-league backup option, though. Tyler Austin and Lamonte Wade Jr. could provide some first-base depth, while veteran starters such as Tyler Mahle and Martín Pérez could be options to add some depth to the starting rotation. Caleb Thielbar would be another familiar, low-cost bullpen option, if he doesn’t retire, but his numbers were not great in his age-39 season (4.70 FIP in 50 innings). None of these names would be major additions, but each could provide some depth—and maybe some upside, if the right opportunity presents itself.

The Twins don’t need to bring back every former player purely based on nostalgia, but there are certainly names here who could help the team in 2027. None of them should be out of the Twins’ price range, especially with the Pohlads insisting they will invest in the team’s payroll. Nevertheless, the Twins have lots of decisions to make about the 2027 roster, and a reunion or two could boost the on-field play, as well as fan sentiment. The best offseason moves aren’t always the biggest names on the market, but rather, cheaper players who can fill a role for a team that needs it. Besides, who doesn’t love a reunion?

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What are your thoughts? Could any of these names be contributors for the 2027 Twins?

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[soyouresayingtheresachance]

Ty France wouldnt be my 1st choice to play 1B for us, but hes not the worst safety net option. Definitely better than Lewis in the offensive and defensive areas of the game.

I had Kody Clemens filling in at 2B until Houston was ready to come up, but Arraez is one of my favorite players, so I'd welcome the addition. He'd be good to hit 3rd for us and provide plus Defense. 

Absolutely no interest at all in Isiah K-F. Redundant. Kriedler and/or Ross will be just fine in that role. 

Brusdar Graterol would a great minor league signing, but not someone to count on. 

Okert is a no from me. I dont trust a player that is only successful in Houston. 

[DJL44]

What infield depth is keeping them from bringing in Arraez? Ryan Kreidler or Royce Lewis?

[Linus]

14 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

What infield depth is keeping them from bringing in Arraez? Ryan Kreidler or Royce Lewis?

The allure of Marek Houston. I believe you have read about him here 😀

[TheLeviathan]

25 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

What infield depth is keeping them from bringing in Arraez? Ryan Kreidler or Royce Lewis?

Agreed, 2B looks mighty open to me.  

[DJL44]

8 minutes ago, Linus said:

The allure of Marek Houston. I believe you have read about him here 😀

If Houston works out, they can trade Brooks Lee or Kody Clemens. No problem fitting Arraez on the roster.

[Linus]

44 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

If Houston works out, they can trade Brooks Lee or Kody Clemens. No problem fitting Arraez on the roster.

I should have included the sarcasm emoji I would rather have Lowe anyway. 

[tony&rodney]

Arraez was a really good story when he arrived with the Twins. The metrics police have given him some love recently, which may or may not be legitimate. He was fun to watch. I'm ok if that occurs but want something better for defense, running, and scoring runs.

Ty France is a professional and puts together good at bats and competes on every play in the field. I doubt he wants to return to Minnesota but I like his play.

[Vanimal46]

15 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Ty France is a professional and puts together good at bats and competes on every play in the field. I doubt he wants to return to Minnesota but I like his play.

Ding ding ding! Why would he with the lone exception of the Twins overpaying by a wide margin? I doubt he wants to be a throw in to another trade in July 2027. 

[tony&rodney]

1 minute ago, Vanimal46 said:

Ding ding ding! Why would he with the lone exception of the Twins overpaying by a wide margin? I doubt he wants to be a throw in to another trade in July 2027. 

Well, this time France would cost 2/$20M at a minimum with an option. But I don't see it.

[Vanimal46]

Graterol for a minor league + ST invite sure. The rest I’m good. Give the youth a chance. 

[Linus]

Ty France is a complete sucker bet. Pay for his one career year and wait for the contract to expire. 

[Andy MacPhail]

I like some of them but IMO, we don't need any of them.

[Vanimal46]

7 hours ago, DJL44 said:

No problem fitting Arraez on the roster.

Is Ron Washington a package deal with Arraez? He seems to be the only one to unlock his defensive chops. 

I’m gonna bet these amazing OAA numbers for Arraez is a mirage. If he’s looking for a 1 year deal I guess. 

[Twins GFP]

France will probably want more money than the Twins are willing to spend at this point. If they could get him back at a reasonable price and he wants to come here, get it done.

Arraez won't be back with the Twins if only because he makes too much sense. He fills a position of need, is well liked by everyone, and has a great bat. IMO, he should be the Twins #1 offseason FA target for position players. 2-years would be great.

IKF - No, just no

RP can be had, bring in Okert and Graterol if the price is right.

[Brandon]

I think France who is from CA will prioritize staying home.  Money does talk but the Pads will likely pay him enough to stay.  Though I am good if we resign him to a 1 or 2 year deal.  I just don't see it.  

Arraez is cool but Houston is the future at second and Clemens can hold down second then shift into super utility player. When Houston is up. But if it's a 1 year deal which I doubt then Arraez would make sense.  

Graterol on a minor league deal....yes please 

Okert?  We still have Rogers and Minter to resign first.  Rogers will cost less and Minter is more proven. I'm not against it just that we have other options.

Isaiah..... NO!  Too redundant and more expensive than Kreidler.

[stringer bell]

13 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Ding ding ding! Why would he with the lone exception of the Twins overpaying by a wide margin? I doubt he wants to be a throw in to another trade in July 2027. 

I think there's a 90% chance that France returns to the Padres. He was outstanding for them for minimal money. He'd be in line for a lot more after this year, but not eight digits.

Arraez would be intriguing. He's going to hit .300 and be a solid bet to win a batting championship. He's also been surprisingly durable in his career and his defense was okay. He lacks power and the walk rate has fallen since his Twins days. He will want a lot of money and I don't know how long he will last as a second baseman.

Okert had some decent years before he came to the Twins and has been good for Houston the past two years. I don't trust relievers moving to another club and continuing to do well. No thanks.

[Senior Softball Guy]

A lineup of Keachall and Arraez at the top sounds pretty good. You would see a lot of games with first and third, nobody out. Sign me up!

[DJL44]

39 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Arraez is cool but Houston is the future at second and Clemens can hold down second then shift into super utility player. When Houston is up. But if it's a 1 year deal which I doubt then Arraez would make sense.  

Houston is supposed to be the best defensive SS they have had since Greg Gagne. He will play SS. 
 

Add talent. You know what they call teams with “too much” talent? Contenders.

[bean5302]

This is a whole lotta "MEH" from me.

 

[killercarewoliva]

18 hours ago, DJL44 said:

If Houston works out, they can trade Brooks Lee or Kody Clemens. No problem fitting Arraez on the roster.

we could have Houston at shortstop Culpeper at third base Arraez at second. I would be excited to watch the game every single day. would bring some decent pitching and Clemens the same. these are above average players so you just you can hold out for a decent return. A lot is expected of Lee next year. be kind of hard to give up on that. does anybody care to say what type of pitching could be acquired or a first baseman?

[Brandon]

47 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Houston is supposed to be the best defensive SS they have had since Greg Gagne. He will play SS. 
 

Add talent. You know what they call teams with “too much” talent? Contenders.

If Houston is at SS then Culpepper moves to 2nd and Clemens still moves into super utility role assuming the Twins find an answer at 1B  I am fine with the Twins signing Arraez.  But I also know we don't have an unlimited budget and there are other positions of need.  1B, C, DH and RP.

[TopGunn#22]

If I could be guaranteed the 2026 Ty France season in 2027, I'd have some interest.  But I'm not confident we'd get THAT Ty France, and I agree, he's a 90% chance to be back with the Padres.  They will find a way to come together.

I still think 1B is much more of a priority than 2B.  I'd rather look at FA Jake Bauers at 1B, make a trade for someone like Yandy Diaz if the Twins are O.K. with his diminished defense (his BAT hitting 3rd-4th-5th would be tremendous), or trade for a young guy blocked at the MLB level like Tibbs from the Dodgers.

I'm convinced Marek Houston will be up SOONER rather than later.  That makes 2B a short term problem. Cody Clemens can hold down 2B until Houston comes up and pushes Culpepper over to 2B.  I'm NOT trading Brooks Lee just when it's starting to look like he's coming into his own and is an above average 3B.

I'd have some interest in Graterol if it was a really cheap investment.  He's never been able to stay healthy.  On a Twins pitching staff, he'd fit right in. (I'd rather invest in someone with a track record of performance and health).  If Okert has transformed himself, I'd take the cheaper of him or Minter.  I'd prefer Minter, but I'm willing to consider either.

As much as I like Arraez, I don't believe in the sudden defensive transformation and I think the 2B answer is coming soon.  Plus, Clemens is fine for the first 2 months of the season and is the epitome of a power hitting Utility Man with multiple position effectiveness.  

Martin Perez has been a surprisingly effective pitcher as a #4 or #5.  I'd prefer him over Ober and Kremer.  Certainly a lot of what they COULD do is dependent on what they do with other assets like Ryan, Ober, Lewis, Larnach, Wallner etc...

And I haven't even mentioned CATCHER !  Acquiring a Catcher to start for one year ahead of Caratini and get us closer to a Vahn Lackey debut is critical if we hope to contend in the tepid A.L. Central.  Some of the above mentioned trade pieces need to be used to fill the short term need at Catcher.  Certainly for at least all of 2027 and maybe the beginning of 2028.  

[Cory Engelhardt]

On 10/10/2026 at 10:25 AM, DJL44 said:

If Houston works out, they can trade Brooks Lee or Kody Clemens. No problem fitting Arraez on the roster.

I would imagine Brooks Lee is closer to getting extended than traded. I don't see him being moved.

Clemens I'm not sure. Now MIGHT be the highest his trade value ever will be. But if they can upgrade at 2B, especially on defense, they should look into it. 

And yeah, if Houston comes up and shows he's worthy of being a full time regular, that's a good problem to figure out at that time.

[Nashvilletwin]

Houston’s imminent arrival should not prevent the Twins from considering an Arraez return.  Why?

1. Houston won’t be up until mid year at best. Arraez plays 2B until then with Clemens at 1B. Lewis should be gone. 

2. When Houston does arrive, he should play SS every day and Culpepper moves to 2B.  Clemens and Arraez fill 1B, DH, and utility IF (with Clemens also able to play OF as needed).

3. Arraez and Buxton could be platoon DHs as well. 

4. We could really use Arraez’s bat skills, possibly hitting 2nd behind Keaschall.

5. Arraez is really fun to watch.

6. Players are going to be injured.  Arraez would be excellent veteran depth. 
 

No to the other names suggested in the article   

 

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

On 10/10/2026 at 11:55 AM, Vanimal46 said:

Is Ron Washington a package deal with Arraez? He seems to be the only one to unlock his defensive chops.

If that's the case, I'm all in!

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

16 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

And I haven't even mentioned CATCHER !  Acquiring a Catcher to start for one year ahead of Caratini and get us closer to a Vahn Lackey debut is critical if we hope to contend in the tepid A.L. Central.

Yeah, if the Twins are truly serious about competing the next time baseball happens, they will need to add someone of substance if we lose Jeffers.

[DJL44]

10 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I would imagine Brooks Lee is closer to getting extended than traded. I don't see him being moved.

They have Brooks Lee under control for 4 more seasons. His established level of talent is "average" and there are some underlying concerns that he can maintain that. I wouldn't be surprised to see us discussing whether Lee should be non-tendered in 3 years.

[DJL44]

21 hours ago, Brandon said:

If Houston is at SS then Culpepper moves to 2nd and Clemens still moves into super utility role assuming the Twins find an answer at 1B  I am fine with the Twins signing Arraez.  But I also know we don't have an unlimited budget and there are other positions of need.  1B, C, DH and RP.

There aren't any 1B to add. A platoon of Kody Clemens (790 OPS vs RHP) and Royce Lewis (740 OPS vs LHP) is as good as any free agent besides Jake Bauers.

DH should be filled by one of their extra outfielders. They need a catcher, but they can probably get a starting 2B AND a C for the price of Jeffers.

They can spend $15M on the bullpen and get 1 WAR or they can spend $15M at 2B and get 2 WAR.

[TJSweens]

I don’t want any “old friends” / retreads to come in and be place holders. I want long term solutions.

Arraez is intriguing on some level with his bat. The problem is that he duplicates too many Twins players in that you have to hide his glove. There is a reason he has played for 5 teams by age 29. Graterol would be ok on a minor league deal.