Cleaning Up the Twins’ 40-Man Roster: Who Stays? Who Goes?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Every big-league team faces an important roster challenge at the end of the season. Clubs must prepare for free agency, evaluate their organizational depth, and determine which players deserve a spot on the 40-man roster heading into the winter. For the Minnesota Twins, this process will require several decisions that could shape the team's roster heading into the 2027 season.

The Twins currently have 46 players on their 40-man roster, including six pitchers on the 60-day injured list. Those injured players must be accounted for, because at the end of the World Series, they'll have to be placed back on the 40-man list. Minnesota also has several players who finished the season on the roster but might not fit into the organization's long-term plans.

With four players eligible for free agency and several others facing uncertain futures, the Twins have plenty of work ahead. Some decisions will be straightforward, while others could involve moving on from players who have contributed at the major-league level.

Pending Free Agents

Josh Bell, Ryan Jeffers, A.J. Minter, and Taylor Rogers headline Minnesota's group of pending free agents. Each player presents a different dilemma, as the Twins determine how to allocate their offseason resources.

Jeffers is arguably the most significant decision point. Minnesota could extend him a qualifying offer and see whether he accepts a one-year contract worth approximately $23 million. That would give the Twins a chance to retain an established catcher, without committing to a multi-year deal. However, Jeffers could have a strong market as a free agent, making a multi-year contract with another organization a realistic possibility.

Bell was a useful offensive presence during his time with Minnesota, leading the team in runs batted in. However, his lack of defensive value limits his versatility. The Twins could look for a more robust bat this offseason while rotating players through the designated hitter spot. Part of their reason for signing him last winter was that Derek Shelton respected and valued his clubhouse gravitas, but that consideration now needs to take a back seat. Bringing Bell back would make sense only if the organization believes his production justifies the roster spot and financial commitment.

Minter was a solid addition at the trade deadline. The Twins should look to add a reliever of his caliber this winter, whether that means negotiating a new deal with Minter or finding a comparable arm elsewhere. Bullpen depth is important, but Minnesota must balance that need against its available payroll.

Rogers has indicated that he wants to continue pitching in 2027. However, a return to Minnesota seems unlikely. The Twins need to aim higher; there's little left in Rogers's tank.

Injured Players Returning to the Roster

Mick Abel, Anthony Banda, Pablo López, David Festa, Mike Paredes, and Cole Sands are the pitchers who must be accounted for as Minnesota clears its 60-day injured list spots; that list doesn't exist during the offseason. Several of these decisions should be relatively easy. López remains a key part of the rotation, while Abel and Paredes are pitching options the organization will want to evaluate. However, Banda, Sands, and Festa are more complicated cases.

Banda is not expected to return to the field until July and is projected to earn approximately $2.3 million through arbitration. That creates a difficult calculation for a team that needs bullpen help, but might not receive much immediate value from the left-hander. Minnesota could decide that his experience and potential contributions later in the season justify the cost. Alternatively, the front office could use that roster spot and salary on a healthier option.

Sands is projected to earn approximately $1.3 million through arbitration. He broke out in 2024, establishing himself as a useful bullpen arm, but his performance has declined since then due to injuries. The Twins must decide whether they believe he can rediscover that form, or whether his recent struggles suggest it's time to move on. Unless he's willing to sign for something closer to the league minimum, he's unlikely to return—but such deals are relatively common, in situations like this.

Festa's case is different because he remains pre-arbitration eligible. His salary is not the primary concern, but injuries have limited his availability over the past two seasons. Minnesota must determine whether he can still develop into a dependable major-league starter or whether another pitcher deserves the opportunity.

Other Pitchers the Twins Could Drop

Garrett Acton, Jack Anderson, Eric Orze, and Marco Raya are additional candidates to lose their roster spots. The Twins need to maintain a deep collection of pitchers throughout the organization, but not every arm needs to occupy a 40-man roster spot. Minnesota can continue developing players in the minor leagues without protecting all of them from the Rule 5 Draft.

Acton, Anderson, and Orze have opportunities to make their cases, but they are competing for limited space. The front office must determine whether their potential contributions justify protecting them over other pitchers who might be available through trades, waivers, or free agency.

Raya presents the most interesting decision among this group. He's been one of Minnesota's more prominent pitching prospects for multiple seasons, but has yet to put everything together in the upper levels of the minor leagues. His development has not followed the trajectory the organization once hoped for, and there are questions about his performance since shifting to the bullpen.

The Twins could give Raya another opportunity to develop, especially if they believe his raw ability remains worth protecting. However, moving him into a relief role is not necessarily a simple solution. If Minnesota doesn't believe he can succeed in a relief role at the major-league level, they could decide to open his roster spot for someone with a clearer path to contributing.

These decisions are particularly important, because the Twins will need multiple bullpen options in 2027. The goal should be to retain pitchers who have a realistic chance of helping the major-league club, as well as being optionable and affordable.

Other Position Players the Twins Could Drop

Ben Ross, Aaron Sabato, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Royce Lewis, and Austin Martin round out the group of players who could be considered for removal. Ross and Sabato received opportunities with the major-league club late in the season, but those promotions felt more like courtesy call-ups than the beginning of a long-term role. Ross could still compete for a backup infield job next season, particularly if the Twins value his defensive versatility. Sabato appears to be the easiest decision among this group. He's spent years in the organization trying to establish himself as a viable option, but his path to a regular role remains unclear.

Wallner's future is another situation worth watching. After struggling with the Twins, he spent the remainder of the season at Triple-A. His offensive potential has been evident, but he has not consistently translated that ability into major-league production. The writing is on the wall with this one; consider it an open spot.

Larnach, Lewis, and Martin are more complicated decisions, because each has a different combination of experience, potential, and contractual considerations. Larnach remains under team control through arbitration, giving Minnesota a chance to retain him without making a long-term commitment. His skill set feels redundant, though. Other players who fit his profile are more important to the franchise.

Lewis is the most recognizable name in this group, but he hasn't been a consistently productive big-leaguers since the middle of 2024. He's more headache than headliner, but getting rid of a headache often requires swallowing a bitter pill.

Martin has yet to reach arbitration, making him an inexpensive option. He has a sufficiently patient approach to maintain a high floor for offensive value, but his ceiling is very low—and, try as he might, he's still not looking like a plus defender, even in left field.

The Twins appear to have several players with higher ceilings or who are better fits for the roles these six players might occupy. A couple of them could survive the autumn reaping, but most of the group will slough off before December.

The Twins Need to Make Room for the Future

Clearing roster spots is only the first step. The organization must also decide how those spots will be used. Retaining too many fringe players could limit the team's flexibility when opportunities emerge through free agency, trades, or the waiver wire. Some decisions will be difficult, because Wallner, Lewis, and Raya still have intriguing potential. Others (including Sabato and some of the fringe pitching options) might be easier to move on from. The injured pitchers pose financial and developmental questions that the front office must weigh carefully.

If Minnesota wants to build a more competitive roster in 2027, it must be willing to move on from players who no longer fit its plans and use that flexibility to pursue better options. The 40-man roster cleanup is an early but important part of that process. The decisions made this winter could determine how much flexibility the Twins have when the more significant opportunities of the offseason arrive.

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Who would you remove from the 40-man roster? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[bean5302]

46 guys on the 40 man right now.
4 potential free agents, but Zoll will bring back Bell so need to clear 3 spots.

I would drop all 4 pending free agents.
I would drop Banda, Parades and Sabato in a heartbeat.

That would put Minnesota at 39.

[Cory Engelhardt]

3 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

46 guys on the 40 man right now.
4 potential free agents, but Zoll will bring back Bell so need to clear 3 spots.

I would drop all 4 pending free agents.
I would drop Banda, Parades and Sabato in a heartbeat.

That would put Minnesota at 39.

I can't imagine a scenario where Josh Bell is playing for the Minnesota Twins next season. Why do you think he will be back? He can't play 1b, and they have (at minimum) 5 outfielders once Buxton is healthy who can all get playing time.

IF he could play 1b, then that would make sense. Otherwise, I just can't see it.

[Parfigliano]

I would drop Bell, Wallner, Gray yesterday.

[Danchat]

44 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

46 guys on the 40 man right now.
4 potential free agents, but Zoll will bring back Bell so need to clear 3 spots.

I would drop all 4 pending free agents.
I would drop Banda, Parades and Sabato in a heartbeat.

That would put Minnesota at 39.

Why DFA Paredes? He was a reasonably fine backend starter who is the perfect kind of guy to keep at AAA as he's got 3 option years.

There are more logical candidates like Orze, who's out of options and isn't good enough to be on the MLB roster.